A Nobody's War
by Igor Lollipop
Summary: The Organization has become a hassle to Sora and company, especially with a new Nobody on their side. She strikes a resemblance to someone familiar. Hold on, why are there so many heartless everywhere? SEQUEL TO TWOSIDED HEART. SoraKairi RikuxOC RokuNé
1. Prologue: Jewel Grove

**A/N: 6.25.09: I prolly should've finished editing Two-sided before moving onto this, but... I didn't. xD**

Old note: **Welcome to my second Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. Alright, this is a SEQUEL, people, so if you haven't read my other fanfic, go read it. It's called the Two Sided Heart. The title is awful, but the story isn't, so go check it out.** **So, without further ado, let's start this thing.**

**Disclaimer-Kingdom Hearts is NOT mine. I only own the plot and my characters.  
**

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The sky overhead was, for a change, clear of anything but white clouds as the wind roared, lapping the waves of the lake onto the rocky shore. A girl was lying on a bed of rocks lazily, uncaring as the water hit her bare feet, as she idly wound a finger around a thick strand of dark blond hair with stripes of black and sections of red. She turned over, onto her stomach, and yawned quietly as she gazed up at the bright sun. Being on babysitting duty was boring on such a beautiful day. Well, not that she could call what she was doing 'babysitting'. In fact, she wasn't all that sure where the kid, her cousin, was; that probably wasn't a very good thing.

The girl gave another great yawn as she flipped onto her back. The discomfort of not knowing the location of her little cousin was keeping her from sleeping or relaxing at all. Without yet getting up, she pulled down her long pink tube top, further obscuring the short jean shorts she was wearing. Summer had nearly returned to Jewel's Grove again, and there was just about a week of school left. Then, she would be seventeen.

Behind the gate that separated the area where the girl was laying and where the rest of the world was allowed to stand, there was a little girl with blond hair that fell a little bit down her back. She was writing with chalk on the black tar path. For a little over two hours, she had been sitting there and drawing. In fact, quite a bit of the winding path was covered in her drawings and handwriting.

"Can we go home yet?" she called to her lazy cousin. The older girl grunted in reply, so the little girl took that as a no. The seven-year-old sighed dramatically as she began to draw a little bit more furiously, the chalk somehow squelching against the tar.

"You know, Kath, there's a park just about fifteen steps away. If you're bored with coloring, then you can go there." The annoyed teenage girl muttered from where she was laying. The little girl named Kath frowned and stood up. She dusted the chalk dust off of her knees and walked over to the fence with her hands placed on her hips. She kicked at the fence twice to catch her cousin's attention. The older girl groaned and got up, rubbing her eyes as she faced the little girl. "Yes?"

"I don't wanna go to the park by myself!" shouted Kath. "I want you to come with me, so if I hurt myself, I'll be okay."

Her older cousin rolled her eyes as she put her face to the fence, too. "You're _not_ going to get hurt going to the park that's _right_ there," said the teenager. "You're _seven_ now, darling; start acting like it."

Kath shook her head vehemently. "But I don't wanna!" The teenager sighed in defeat as she kicked her flip flops on and jumped the fence.

She bent down beside her cousin and decided to offer her an ultimatum. "If I were to tell you another one of my stories, would you go play on the playground and let me lie in the sun for a little while longer?" She asked, though she needn't expect an answer different from the usual. Kath nodded her head furiously with a large smile, "Alright." The girl agreed as she set her back against the fence and stretched her legs straight ahead of her so that the little girl could sit.

Kath climbed into her cousin's lap and the story began to be told. "Which one do you want to hear?" The older girl asked as she began to braid the little one's hair.

"Tell me about Kairi and Naminé again," pleaded Kath, the big smile still on her lips.

The girl finally smiled. "Okay. Kairi was really pretty, and so was Naminé. In fact, they had a different type of style than anyone would expect out of a princess. If you just met them randomly, you wouldn't expect them to be princesses. Kairi had really pretty dark red hair, and Naminé had light blond hair. The two of them had two boyfriends that, I guess, you could consider princes: Roxas and Sora..."

**XxX**

It had only taken about five stories to send off Kath; she was such a _joyful_ little child. The teenage girl relaxed on her stone shore once more in peace for about an hour before she heard another peep out of anyone. "Hey, Stefa," Kath called from behind the fence.

Stefa opened one eye and groaned. "Yes?" she asked in a voice laced with forced sweetness.

"You remember those black things without hearts that you told me about?"

Stefa opened her other eye and blinked. "Heartless? Yeah... Why?" She asked slowly.

"Could I pet one? They just look so furry and cute!" The little girl said. Stefa bolted up and turned around.

"Don't be ridiculous, they don't really- Oh, no." Her cousin was mere inches from a black creature with eyes the size and color of tennis balls that Stefa immediately recognized as a Shadow Heartless. "No, no, no. Back off, Kath. Why don't you go home and see if your grandma fixed lunch?"

Kath sighed, but, excited by the prospect of going home, agreed as she skipped off. "Okay..." Stefa then jumped over the fence once again and glared at the single Heartless.

"I haven't seen a _single_ one of you for two years. Why must you come back now?" The Heartless merely moved around harmlessly. In a way, it did look a little bit cute; just a _little_. "Okay, I'm talking to a Heartless... That's perfect." She murmured as she slowly backed off. When it didn't come after her, Stefa ran all the way home.

**XxX**

The next morning, Stefa was willing to accept that she had been dreaming the entire thing with the Heartless. Her little cousin was still sleeping when she rushed off to school, so she decided to ignore everything that she thought may or may not have happened. "I'm leaving!" Stefa called to no one in particular as she grabbed a piece of buttered toast and headed for the bus. It was Thursday, the second to last day of school for her. "And I will soon be a senior," she silently declared to herself as she stood at the bus stop.

It was a little chilly that morning, so she regretted the fact that she was wearing one of her shorter jean skirts and a white t-shirt that she thought oddly resembled a mouse that she knew a while ago... It didn't really matter, though. Besides, when would she have known a _mouse_ like it was a good friend that spoke to her about the weather? The bus pulled up a couple of minutes later and Stefa did as she always did: retreated to the back of the vehicle in order to sit with one of her friends.

Her friend, Kate, had hair that fell down in curly ringlets and looked more orange than it did red. Kate was _always_ wearing something outrageous. Today, for example, she was wearing a short dark blue tube top and an even shorter black skirt. "You're totally going to get caught by one of teachers, you know." Stefa remarked as she gazed at her friends clothing. Right over Kate's bellybutton was an emerald piercing. "Ah, that's why," she added with a smirk, "Nice."

"Thank you, Princess." Kate muttered sarcastically as she looked over the blonde's clothing. "Your outfits are slipping, Stef." She scolded her friend as she grasped one of the earrings hanging from Stefa's right ear: a large black hoop. Also lining this ear was a ruby stud, a small silver hoop, and at the very top of Stefa's ear were three small silver hoops in a row. "Nice earrings, though."

Stefa inclined her head, grinning. "I'm glad you approve of _something_ on my body."

"So, have you heard?" Kate asked earnestly. Obviously she'd been holding in some 'major' news since she had gotten on the bus, and it looked like she was about to explode.

Stefa felt a little exasperated as she asked, "What about this time?" Kate either did not notice or did not care about her tone.

"Okay, well," Kate began with a smile, "I heard from Lucielle, who heard from Janet, who heard from Jake, who heard from Alma that there are five new students at our school." Stefa couldn't see what was so exciting about the news since new students were always transferring to their school.

"You couldn't get to the point, could you?" asked Stefa sarcastically, a playful smile on her face.

Kate frowned for a minute, but she immediately recovered. "There are supposed to be three _gorgeous _guys and two not bad girls," she stated. "One of them has chocolate-colored hair that's spiked, another is a honeycomb blond with his hair spiked in a different fashion, and the last one has straight silver-moon hair." Stefa always found it funny the way that Kate described the hair of guys.

Deciding that she needed a laugh, Stefa tugged on her friend's chain a little. "I know you were talking about one guy for sure, but are the other two the girls?"

Kate pouted. "Why do you _always_ have to do that? It's so mean."

"Yes, yes, life is _terrible_," remarked Stefa, grinning. "What do the girls look like?"

"One of them has long blond hair and the other has red hair," she said bluntly. Leave it to Kate to describe the boys like gods and the girls like rats.

Stefa, always pointed out the obvious, frowned. "Isn't it just a little strange for so many kids to be transferring to school during finals?"

Kate shrugged meekly, clearly uncaring about the reasons and simply wanting to spread gossip. "I guess that's true, huh? Well, you know, people are weird. Maybe they're just checking out the school? They could be coming for the last two days of school or something."

"Could be," she agreed although she didn't believe it. "What are their ages?"

"The silver-haired boy is eighteen and the rest of them are seventeen." Stefa stared at her in amazement while she wondered if she was the only one who realized it was a bit odd for a Senior to be going to the last day of school.

_'Something isn't right here.'_ Stefa, however, decided not to reign on her friend's parade. "Maybe we'll see them during our free period, or something."

"Well, if I see that silver-haired guy, I'm totally going up to him, final or not," declared Kate.

Stefa laughed, "That's my Kate, always getting into trouble with all of the deans."

**XxX**

When they got into the school, Stefa and Kate headed for the former's locker to get some of her books and money. The both of them had two free periods and a final for the last period. They had both grudgingly gone into school anyway since their parents refused to drop them off late. Stefa carried her Chemistry book and studied from it as she and Kate walked towards the cafeteria. She had become such an expert at navigating the overly-crowded hallways that she could now read from a book and walk without bumping into anyone. "I hate it when you do that," grumbled Kate as she pushed past several slow freshmen.

Stefa did not look up, bumping the same freshmen out of her way, "When I do what?"

Frowning, Kate answered, "When you study and walk. It annoys me. Especially considering you don't have your chemistry final until third period."

"In my defense, I haven't studied a _thing_ in chemistry yet, so shut up." The effect of her words was lost as she yawned.

Kate sneered. "Tired?"

Stefa nodded her head, taking her free hand from her side and wiping at her eyes. "Rough night." It was true that since Stefa had been so worried about any Heartless attacking her while she slept, she had drank pop, coffee, and several energy drinks to keep herself awake, yet had not bothered to study for Chemistry once. Stefa yawned once again, and this time she lost her footing as they descended the stairs. Consequently, she and her chemistry book hurled down the overly crowded stairs. "And an even rougher morning," she added as she tripped all the way to the bottom of the steps. "But that _did_ make things pass by a lot faster."

Her chemistry book was sitting in the middle of a crowded hallway, causing her to groan. She crawled towards it on her hands and knees, getting kicked or receiving greetings as she struggled towards it. When she was close to the book, someone made to kick it, but someone who was closer grabbed it. A strong hand lifted Stefa to her feet as a boy handed her the book. "Here," he said as she took it from his hand. She got only a second to catch a quick glance of him, but it was good enough for her.

When Kate ran over to her, half-laughing and half-panting, she said with much excitement, "That was the boy!"

_'Sea-foam green eyes and straight silver hair. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I knew him.' _Stefa thought to herself as she and Kate claimed a table.

About twenty minutes after sitting down, Kate said, "What's wrong, Stef, you seem a bit... distracted." Stefa had been staring at her open book, but the words didn't make sense at all in her head. In fact, the words held no meanings at all; they were all just sweet little nothings. Then again, chemistry had never made much sense to her in the first place, "Stefa!" Kate shouted so loudly that many people in the cafeteria turned to stare at her.

"What?" Stefa asked sharply, looking around with confusion.

Kate smacked her on the back of the head before she smiled. "You _like_ him, don't you? Ooh. In love at first sight, are we?" she added in a murmur with her velvety voice.

"Oh, shush, I'm just tired." Stefa replied, waving off Kate, "You and your hopeless romanticism."

"Actually, I'm more for the one night stands, but..." Kate joked, earning her a look from Stefa, "Knew that would catch your attention."

Tiring very quickly of Kate's company, Stefa gazed across the lunchroom with an intense look in her eye, "Oh. My. God," she made her voice sound shocked. "Is that _Brian_ talking to _Linda_?"

Kate quickly turned in her seat. "_What_? That little cheat, how dare he do this to me?" Kate, unable to locate the two, growled, "Where did they go, Stefa?"

"Oh... Oh, God, Kate!" Stefa muttered in a quietly serious voice. "They were heading for the guy's bathroom. You better hurry."

"That _tramp_," she growled. "I'll teach her to screw around with my boyfriend. I'll be back." With that, she jumped out of her seat and practically ran across the room. Since Stefa had been making it up, but also guessing that it was possible, she figured that she had given herself at least a half an hour of alone time. An hour if Brian decided to 'make up' with Kate. It was then that Stefa realized that Kate had told her that she wanted to go out with the silver-haired boy.

_'A bit of a hypocrite aren't we, Kate?' _Stefa smirked to herself as she stared in the direction her friend had run.

"Stefa, Stefa. You haven't changed a bit, have you? Putting relationships in danger as usual, I see," came a girl's voice from behind Stefa, causing the latter to jump. She turned in her seat to see who was standing behind her and found a chocolate-haired girl grinning.

The girl was shorter than her with big brown eyes that peered up from beneath her thick bangs. She was also extremely familiar, and Stefa had to force herself to not jump up. "Elie, I haven't seen you in forever!" Since she had last seen her, Elie's hair had grown quite a bit; they were practically flowing onto her shoulders. **(A/N: Think of what Olette's hair looks like.)**

"This school's big," pointed out Elie with a grin. "How've you been holding up, hm?"

"Oh, you know."

Elie raised her eyebrows. "You _know_ I'm going to ask what happened."

Stefa nodded. "I know, but let me ask you one question first." She said as she looked at Elie with a serious expression. "Do you know if Riku, Sora, Kairi, Naminé, and Roxas are here today?" She was shocked at how easily the names rolled off her tongue, as if she spoke them daily. Then again, she supposed she sort of did; Kath was relentless in her want for Stefa's stories.

"_What_?" demanded Elie, staring with a slightly open mouth.

Stefa felt her cheeks burn a little as she answered. "Well, Kate said that there are five kids who are supposedly transferring, and their descriptions fit the five of them _perfectly_. Not a detail missing. Not to mention a boy with seafoam eyes and straight silver hair that looked _exactly_ like Riku gave me my book today."

Elie became thoughtful and quiet for a minute, two things that were totally unlike her. "Anything is possible, I guess, but why would they come here unless something was wrong?"

"Maybe I _wasn't_ hallucinating yesterday after all." Stefa muttered quietly under her breath as Elie stared her hard in the eye.

Elie leaned back in her chair. "You better start talking; I don't like playing guessing games."

**XxxxxX**

"I can't believe we have to be back _here_," complained a man wearing a black coat. His hood was pulled over his head, shrouding his face in darkness. There were about eleven others in the room that also had the same outfit. None of their faces were visible.

"I agree with the Schemer," agreed a female, "Bad memories here."

"It's only temporary, until we get a new castle. We've been here for almost two years, so why complain now?" asked another man. This man seemed to be taller than all of the rest of his colleagues.

"I still don't understand how we got here. Isn't Castle Oblivion inside of Kingdom Hearts?" Another man's whiny voice inquired. He was holding a strange blue sitar in his hand.

"We use _portals_, Nocturne, does it really matter? Besides, it's _past _the door, in the Realm of Darkness. Moron." Another man with a pink scythe remarked.

"Can you _stop_ talking long enough for mind to clear?" The female snapped at the two of them.

"Why is it whenever I'm talking to someone, _I_ get yelled at?" The man with the scythe demanded as he turned to face the woman.

The woman turned towards him only. "Because you aren't allowed to talk to anyone other than yourself," she answered. Her sneer was almost audible. "Who knows, maybe it's because hearing your voice _annoys_ me." Now there was no mistaking the smirk.

"The Nymph _is _manlier than you, Number XI, so she could beat you up in order to make you permanently shut up." A man with a deep voice, obviously better built than the others, grunted.

"No, I think you could do that on your own if you wanted to, Number V." A man with several purple lances floating behind him declared.

"We could settle this over a game of poker," remarked a man with an English accent.

"Shut _up_, all of you." A man with a large claymore barked. "Do not think that without the moon I can't go into Berserker mode; I would be glad to prove you all wrong." He growled dangerously. All fell silent instantly, even though the female hit the scythe wielder's shoulder.

"We will soon be ready to initiate the plan, but I am not so sure," the tallest man began as he looked over the others, "if any of you are capable of this aside from Number VII."

Immediately, the quiet turned to loud noise as almost all of the cloaked members reassured their superior that they were definitely ready although they would name people who would fail for sure. The Superior held his hand up for silence as he rubbed his temples. "_Silence_." He said in a sharp voice. "This meeting is over, you may leave now."

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**A/N: Kind of short, but it's alright for an opener. Nothing more to say than that. Read and review, please!**


	2. A Reunion Short Lived

**A/N: Chapter two, yay. ;D Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter.** **This is most likely going to be my last chapter for a week or more since I'm leaving in a couple of hours and Harry Potter **_**is**_** coming out, so I guess it depends on how long it takes me to finish the book, too. Heh.** **The more I read of the last part of that chapter, the more I like it; I rarely like something that I write so much. xD**

**MAJOR EDIT-About a year later, I've decided to change the spelling to Kera's name. xD Okay, not quite so major. It's Keira now... the normal way. :P**

**Disclaimer-I'd be rich if I owned Kingdom Hearts, you know.**

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After her talk with Elie, Stefa had been sure that she wasn't crazy, but after the day passed with nothing out of the normal, she wasn't so sure. She found out during her second free period that she had actually been right about Kate's boyfriend cheating on her, and so she spent most of that period trying to cheer up her friend. During this time, Elie mysteriously disappeared, and Stefa could not say that she blamed her; Kate was more of an acquired taste. Stefa only managed to study for real after she promised Kate that she would workout with her after school. _That_ had been a bit of a mistake, too.

About a half an hour into working out, Kate received a call from Brian and just _had_ to go to 'try and put things right between the two of them'. This led Stefa to believe that she probably would hear all kinds of juicy details on the bus tomorrow. Stefa herself stayed at the gym for about an hour afterward and went to change into her clothes around two o'clock. She exited the gym and stepped into the hallway, glad to take a breath of fresh air.

She stopped right before entering the hallway with the locker room when she spotted a little girl with dark hair crying. She looked about six, making her too old to go to the little preschool that was in the other building. At first, she was ready to dismiss it, but, as the girl continued to cry, she decided to do the right thing and approach her.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked in the sweet voice she usually saved for Kath as she bent down so she was face to face with the little girl. The dark-haired girl looked up with an innocent expression, but that soon turned to a devilish one. Stefa stared at the girl in shock and backed off as the gates that they usually put down at night (to prevent trespassers from wandering the halls and stealing things) slammed down on all exits, leaving her to face the girl, "The _hell_?"

Stefa watched as the little girl reshaped into a strange white creature that walked as if it were made of gelatin, "A Nobody? _Now_ I know I'm not going crazy." Sadly, the Dusk wasn't alone; several more Dusks dropped from the ceiling and joined their first one as it slowly walked toward Stefa in an odd, yet creepy, way.

Not knowing what to do, Stefa turned tail and ran; she threw herself at one of the gates and shook it. "Come on, come _on_!" She shouted, pulling at it. Wait. Hadn't she just left a gym with at least a _few_ people in it? Where were they? Unless, of course, they were Dusks in disguise, too. Stefa turned around just in time to see one of the Nobodies stand upside down in midair and walk toward her, like it was walking on an invisible ceiling.

Just when she had been sure that she was a goner, her empty right hand suddenly felt heavy. She blinked and looked at her hand; she was holding a very familiar weapon. Shadow Heart had returned to help her. _'So this isn't a dream.'_ Stefa watched as the Nobodies stared at her. "Yeah, I bet you didn't expect _this_ one." She growled, running forward, and striking at the nearest Dusk. After about three strikes, it was down.

While she attacked another one, a different Dusk circled her feet and then sprang up, striking her backward. "Ouch, that feels like whiplash." She mumbled, rubbing at her keyblade wielding arm, remembering, briefly, the first time a Dusk had ever attacked her. "Stupid." She recovered, running forward and destroying the remaining Dusks. When they were all gone, she rested her body against the wall as she panted. After a few minutes of deep breaths, she went up to the same gate as before and still found it stuck.

Angrily, she struck at the gate with Shadow Heart until she realized that it wasn't going to open. "And, of course, they don't have locks, damn." She muttered, pacing up and down the hallway like she was in a jail.

**xxxxxx**

"King Mickey, sir!" Chip squeaked as he and Dale entered Disney Castle's library.

The mouse king stared at the chipmunks as they jumped onto his desk, "What's wrong, fellas?"

"Several worlds have reported seeing Nobodies in their area!" Dale informed the King.

"Which worlds?"

Chip answered frantically, "The Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, Halloween Town, The Pride Lands, and, as you already knew, Jewel's Grove."

"It's a good thing that Jewel's Grove is taken care of, at least," sighed Mickey. "Fellas, you couldn't try to patch in Radiant Garden, could ya?"

The two chipmunks saluted, "Yes, sir! Right away, your Majesty." Without another word, they scurried out of the room.

King Mickey rubbed his forehead tiredly and sighed once again. "I guess the two years of peace is over with." He muttered as he pulled out a pen and paper from out of the desk.

**xxxxxx**

"This is insane," remarked a brown-haired man as he killed a Dusk with one swipe of his Gunblade. The newly restored Radiant Garden was under attack by Nobodies. Behind him, several more Dusks silently crept toward him, but they were instantly taken out as a giant shuriken swept through them. Its owner, a black-haired girl with a ninja headband, jumped off of a roof and ran forward to catch it. She had short black hair with a ninja headband covering her forehead. Her neck was donning a yellow scarf and she was wearing a short green tube tope that hooked to the back of the shirt with blue buckles and even shorter yellow shorts with a blue belt. Her arms were covered by long fishnet gloves and shorter orange ones. She had stockings that reached to her thighs and she was wearing brown boots.

The man turned to face the ninja girl and smiled his thanks. "Thanks, Yuffie."

She merely waved it off. "Anytime, Squall." A man stepped out from a large house nearby and only stopped outside of the door.

"Yuffie, Leon," the blond man called, "The King's wantin' to hear from ya." His goggles were pushed atop his head, and he was chewing on a piece of tobacco. He was wearing a white T-shirt with an overly large orange belt, puffy blue pants, grey socks, and black shoes. The other two nodded and headed into the house.

The house, despite what it looked like on the outside, was very large thanks to the wizard who lived there. In one corner of the room was a large computer screen that currently had the mouse king's face on it. Yuffie gave the pilot a reprimanding look as she entered the house.

"Wha'? I'm gonna quit," he replied to her glare.

The ninja waved her hand at him as Leon sat before the computer, "Yeah, yeah, sure. That's what you've been saying for years, Cid."

"Your Majesty, it's good to finally hear from you."

Mickey's smile seemed forced. "It's nice talkin' to ya again, Leon. I hear that you're havin' a bit of Nobody trouble there."

Leon nodded his head gravely. "Yeah, they're everywhere."

Yuffie came up behind him and pouted at the King. "We _finally_ restored this world to its former glory and these stupid things are trying to ruin that."

"Several other worlds have reported having Nobodies, but I've got some other big news." Mickey announced with a true smile. Cid joined Yuffie and Leon by the computer to hear what he had to say.

**xxxxxx**

About an hour after Stefa had finally given up on lifting and attacking the gate, they opened. Well, one of them did, at least. The silver-haired boy from earlier looked around the corner and signaled that Stefa could leave now. She did not do so immediately, relishing in looking up at him, memories from her past flashing through her mind as she did so. With a relieved sigh, she quickly stood and joined him.

There was no mistaking his looks, for they were the exact same as they had been two years ago. However, he did not acknowledge her in the least. She knew that it had been a long time since she last properly saw him, and even longer since they had truly communicated with one another. Maybe he didn't know it was her? Stefa walked alongside him in silence for a few minutes before she found the courage to speak. "You haven't changed a bit, Riku." At first, Stefa was afraid that she was horribly mistaken because the boy didn't say anything for a little while. In fact, he acted like he hadn't heard her at all.

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid. There are sometimes special cases where there are two people who look exactly alike and aren't related...'_ But, still, usually there was at least a small difference, and Stefa couldn't see one here.

Finally, after a few minutes of silent torture, the boy smirked, "Nice of you to have noticed, Stefa. I'd say you hadn't changed, but it seems you have." He spoke in his deep, familiar voice. "Your anger is still there, though," he added with his usual playful smirk.

Stefa smiled and threw her arms around the boy. "I missed you, you know," she muttered quietly. After a minute of hesitation, his arms grasped her and pulled her close to him. "We... never really got to say goodbye. Our last 'proper' conversation, if you even want to call it that, was at Aerith's funeral."

"I missed you a lot. I was so worried about you." She felt blood rush to her cheeks at his words, which deepened as she felt the soft brush of cheeks against the top of her head. "Before I take it upon myself to take you home, don't you still have to go to the locker room?" He asked, making her blush increase tenfold.

"Uhm, right, be right back." She entered the room that they had conveniently stopped outside of.

**XxX**

"Now since that's all said and done, why are you here? Not that I'm complaining," she added as they passed the familiar lake, heading in the direction of a red bridge.

Riku seemed hesitant in answering her. "Well..." He began, but he was cut off as someone shouted.

"Stefa!" The girl in question immediately smiled at the sound of the voice though she was, admittedly, surprised that it was the _right _name. A blonde girl wearing a white sun dress was running toward her and only stopped once she was about an inch away from the other girl's face. The two embraced tightly, Stefa still grinning like an idiot.

"Naminé, long time no see," she added casually as they released. "Am I to take it that everyone's here, then?"

Naminé shook her head, "Only everyone from the Islands. Well, excluding Axel; he had to stick back there, but he sends his greetings. It's been so long."

There was another shout, this time of, "Keira!" as a redhead stopped beside the girl in the sundress. "Nice hair," she added with a grin.

"Thanks." Stefa said, giggling. "My God, you two look amazing. And so tan! It must be nice living on an island."

"Well, at least you live by a lake." Naminé pointed out as two boys stopped behind the girls. The most that had changed about Roxas and Sora was that they had gotten quite a bit taller; they were seventeen, after all. They did, however, still wear their hair in the same spiked style and favored their old clothes from the previous time she had seen them.

Stefa was unable to stop her grin from growing larger. For the first time in a while, she felt normal and exhilarated, "Roxas, Sora! Jeez, you're taller."

"Still shorter than me," stated Riku with a wide smirk as the two boys scowled and the girls burst into laughter.

"Alright, now I know there's a reason you guys came here besides the fact that you missed me," said Stefa with a mock-pout, though the corners of her lips were steadily turning up at the corners.

The five of them exchanged glances before Roxas spoke. "Why don't you take us to your house and we'll explain?"

Hiding behind several nearby leafy trees was a man in a black coat. He watched as the teenagers crossed the bridge and disappeared. "Well, there's no way I'm even going to _try_ to take six keyblade wielders alone." He muttered to himself as he scratched his head through his hood. "I guess I'll just have to wait until another opportune moment." The man sighed as he gazed at the lake. "Next time they come near the water should do the trick."

**xxxxxx**

"I'm starting to question the Superior's Judgment." A woman muttered quietly to her companion as they sat at a wide white table that looked like it was meant for meetings.

"Why would you ever do a thing like that, Larxene?" The man asked as he pulled down his hood to reveal pink hair. He was smirking.

"Who in their right mind would send Demyx to do anything alone? Scratch that, who in their right mind, would send Demyx to do _anything_ period?" She asked as she, too, took down her hood to reveal blonde hair.

The pink haired man suggested, "Maybe the Superior wants to kill him off."

Larxene snorted, "Yeah, right, the Superior's going to kill off Demyx during the time that we need allies the most. Marluxia get real, please."

"What? It was just a thought," he replied as he leaned back in one of the white chairs.

A smirk crossed Larxene's face. "You just want him gone because you're jealous."

"_**What?**_" Marluxia exclaimed, his chair falling back on its four legs with a slam.

"You heard me," she said. "Let's face it, Marluxia. He may get picked on for being stupid and being from the druggie days, but a lot more people in the Organization like him over you."

Marluxia made a face, "Yeah, right. Where's your proof?"

Larxene stared at him hard in the eye. "Need I remind you about Luxord's poker night two weeks ago?" She asked, a sadistic grin twisting her features when Marluxia's face paled.

"Alright, alright, I understand."

**xxxxxx**

When Stefa dragged her old friends into her house, she realized that her aunt wasn't yet off work, Kath was still in school, and the rest of her family was either at work or out. "This sucks," she muttered under her breath as she led Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and Naminé up two flights of stairs and down a hallway to her room.

"What does?" asked Roxas as they paused at the end of the hallway, waiting for Stefa to open the door.

She quickly looked back at him and grinned. "No one in my family believes me about what happened besides my little cousin, and here I am with my proof." The others laughed as Stefa finally opened the door and stepped inside. Her room was a decent size; the walls were purple and sponged blue. It was pretty messy, various things were collected on top of her desk, her bed, her night stand, her floor, and her closet was filled to the brim with more than just clothes. All in all, her floor wasn't _too_ messy, just a little bit. At least the room was a decent size to fit six people.

Stefa sat in her computer chair, leaving Naminé and Kairi to take over the bed, and the boys to sit on the floor or on top of another piece of furniture. For a moment, she felt like she needed to pinch herself. She had never expected to see her friends again, and she had definitely never expected them to be in her room with her, two years later. "Alright, shoot. Why are you here?"

"The thing is, Stefa," Naminé began slowly, "We're not all that sure." Stefa gave her a quizzical look, leaving Sora to take over.

"What Naminé means is that King Mickey contacted us and wanted us to come here. All he said was that you were here, so we needed to be, too."

Riku remarked, "But there's no doubt about it that it has something to do with the Nobodies here." Stefa became quiet for a moment as she thought.

She finally spoke a few moments after in a softer tone. "You don't think that it has anything to do with me, do you? Like someone's after me or any of that?" The others took in what she was saying and dismissed it immediately, but not because it was a barbaric idea.

"Why would anyone bother with you if you've been living life as a normal girl for these past two years?" Roxas asked, shaking his head. "Maybe he just thought that we could help you control the Nobody problem."

They tried to contemplate this for a little longer, but they were stopped by a loud scream. "That's my cousin." Stefa did not think, jumped out of the chair, threw open her door, and ran downstairs. After a few moments, she was quickly joined by her friends as she stopped outside. On the front lawn twas a man with a black jacket holding Kath up by the neck. Shadow Heart materialized in Stefa's hand and, without a second thought, she ran forward at the guy holding her cousin hostage. "Leave her alone," she heard herself viciously growl.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, there." The man said in a highish, and vaguely familiar, voice. "I'm sure that we can make a deal."

Oathkeeper and Oblivion materialized into Roxas' hands. "Demyx!" Stefa was amazed at how the blond could identify the man with just his voice, but, then again, Roxas _had_ been in the Organization for a while.

"Roxas, how nice to see you again," said Demyx as he pulled off his hood. His voice, unlike the usual, was _cold_ when he spoke to Roxas; that was something Roxas had been sure the other blond could never pull off.

Chain of Memories materialized into Naminé's hand. "This is your all time low, Demyx."

"If the two of you remember correctly, us Nobodies do what we must to survive."

Stefa glared. "What does holding my cousin hostage have to do with _your_ survival?"

Suddenly Demyx's face lit up as he turned toward her. "Well, she's the one way to lure _you_." He replied in a matter-of-fact voice that Roxas was also not use to hearing.

Still, Stefa was confused, and concerned, "Your point?" Demyx suddenly released Kath, who fled behind the safety of her older cousin's legs, and scratched the back of his head.

"Alright, I let her go. Now you can come with me." He said, pointing at her; Riku immediately stepped forward with Way to the Dawn and positioned himself between Demyx and Stefa.

Sora stepped beside him with Ultima Weapon. "That's not really how it works." Demyx's expression turned thoughtful for a minute before he snapped, summoning different types of Heartless and Nobodies alike. The group exchanged confused looks before Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and Naminé ran to different corners of the yard to defeat the creatures.

Stefa bent down so she was crouching before her cousin. "Climb on, Kath, and hold on for dear life." The little one did as she was told, throwing her arms around her cousin's neck and locking her legs around Stefa's waist. Stefa choked a bit at the pressure on her throat, but she ran forward nonetheless, swinging at Heartless and Nobodies in what would have been a comical way had things not been so serious.

Suddenly, something tackled her from behind, throwing Kath off of her back and sending her to meet the concrete sidewalk. She winced as warm blood oozed from the cuts that had formed on her knees and arms, and, when she tried to get up, she found herself unable. Perched on top of her back was a Soldier Heartless. Three Shadows quickly joined it and she realized, too late, what was happening.

"Kath, get inside, now!" She shouted as loud as she could, despite the own fear she felt. Kath sent a fearful glance her way before disappearing inside of the house. Stefa looked for her keyblade, but realized that she must have released it when she was knocked down.

Before she could try to summon it back to her hand, she felt something strange. A claw stabbed through her back, and it hurt so badly that it was a numbing pain. Stefa screamed out as she felt the Shadow Heartless seize her heart...

Everyone turned at her scream, even Demyx. With an odd grin, the Nobody disappeared into a portal while the others stared in shock. Stefa's heart escaped through the bloody mess that was her chest, and it was easy to see why she was a special princess. Her heart literally did look like a broken one. It was half black with darkness and half pink with light. Riku ran forward in an attempt to do something, anything. "R-Riku," she stuttered before her body disappeared in golden light and her heart floated away toward the sky.

Kairi and Naminé stared, horrified, at the place where Stefa's body had just been. It was a bloody mess, and nothing more. Riku, out of anger, lashed out at the nearest Heartless, destroying them immediately. The girls felt their lips tremble and tears formed in their eyes. The last time Kairi had seen something like this had been when she woke up just to see Sora's body disappear. "W-what are we going to do?" Naminé whispered quietly as her knees trembled, bringing her to the ground. Roxas was by her side instantly, comforting her.

"So the Organization is back with their desperate attempts," sighed Sora as he stopped beside Kairi. "They just wanted Stefa's Nobody." The Heartless and Nobodies, sensing their win, disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving the teens alone.

The door to Stefa's house creaked open as Kath poked her head out. She slowly stepped out and looked around the front yard, seeing the unfamiliar strangers, but not her cousin. "Where's Stefa?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Kairi controlled herself and took a deep breath as she walked over to the girl and bent down so she was on Kath's level. "Honey, your cousin is..." But she trailed off as a look of recognition flickered across the seven-year-old's face.

"You're Kairi! Stefa told me all about you. Naminé, too! She said that you guys were really pretty, and princesses, too." She whispered all of a sudden, a huge smile on her face. Well, at least the girl knew them. It was the little girl's kindness that made it so difficult for Kairi to explain, "All you! She talked about him a lot!" added Kath at the sight of Riku.

Kairi managed a weak smile for only a moment. "Stefa told you all about her journey, right?" The little girl nodded her pig-tailed head. "Well, then, she probably told you about what happens when a person loses their heart."

Once again, the little girl nodded. "She said... she said..." Kath thought hard about the tales she had heard about a thousand times. "If a Heartless attacks a person, they lose their heart. And if a person loses a heart, they turn into a Heartless," she recited perfectly.

Roxas joined Kairi as he gently directed Naminé's trembling form. "And, when a person turns into a Heartless, they leave their bodies behind. Nobodies, like Naminé and I were." The little girl nodded at his words. It was vaguely funny how they had to explain and re-explain to adults what a Nobody was and how it was formed when this little girl understood it perfectly.

"But but but, I don't understand why you're saying this stuff," she muttered in a small voice. "Where did Stefa go? Oh." She fell silent as she put two and two together. "Did Stefa lose her heart because of me?"

"No, no! Not because of you." Kairi assured the girl as she hugged Kath to her chest. "It was an accident, that's what the bad man wanted."

Kath's lower lip trembled and her eyes teared up. "S-s-so, S-Stefy is a Heartless now?" she asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper; Kairi nodded solemnly. The little girl was quiet for a minute before she burst into noisy tears. Kairi herself could no longer hold herself together, and she cried along with the little girl who thought of her cousin as a goddess.

* * *

**A/N: Sad chapter, right? D: Don't kill me. Things will turn out, you'll see... but not for another week. Heh. -gets ready to duck from all things thrown- I'm sorry about how short it was, but it's late and I'm tired. But I did want to get this out before I left. I owe it to y'all.** **Anyways, if you didn't read the last book even though I already said to, you should read it. xP I don't feel like running by what their individual keyblades that I made up looked like, so deal if you're confused. xD** **See you all in a week!**


	3. The New Member

**A/N: I am baaack :D However, despite sitting on the beach with absolutely NO sunscreen, I am still white as a ghost. Sometimes I wonder. Moving on...** **I did something cool earlier. I was bored and doing nothing, so I was taking quizzes on quizilla and one of the quizzes had Sanctuary and Simple and Clean (The english KH 1 and KH 2 themes) backwards. If you haven't heard either of them, you definitely need to go to youtube and look for Sanctuary's because you'd be surprised at how fitting it is. Seriously.**

**Disclaimer-**_**No**_**, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, the third one would be out by now.  
**

* * *

Silence. It had been so eerily silent since Stefa had disappeared that it was almost maddening. Kairi and Naminé had taken Kath up to her room where the girl had fallen asleep, leaving the boys in the kitchen to wait up for some member of Stefa's family to return. Riku swung Way to the Dawn carelessly as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Riku, you're gonna break something," murmured Sora as he took a seat next to his best friend.

Without looking away from the front door, Roxas added, "Or scare off whoever comes into the house next." He was waiting for something to happen, mostly for Stefa to come through the door, laughing at the looks on their faces.

"This..." Riku had no words to describe the feeling. "It's like when you left after Aerith's funeral," he continued to Roxas and Sora, "that was the last time I saw her. I didn't get to say a proper goodbye. The next time I saw her, she was some... possessed puppet. It's been two years, and I..." He trailed off, shaking his head, and fell into silence.

About five minutes of more silence passed before the door flew open, but it was not a person they were hoping to see. A woman wearing Care Bear scrubs with short, reddish-brown hair entered the room, throwing her tote onto the stairs and placing her large Coach purse on the counter. Having not been aware of anyone else's presence, she started as she turned to face the three boys, and Riku had a moment's notice to make his keyblade disappear.

"The three of you are so quiet, you startled me!" Smiling she said, "You must be friends of Stefa, can I get you anything to drink?" She turned around to open the refrigerator and sighed, the view of the window in her peripheral vision. "It's raining again; such a dreary day before Stefa's birthday. Hopefully it will brighten up tomorrow." She pulled out a gallon of Arizona Ice Tea and placed it onto the counter.

"I'm Stefa's aunt Wilma, are you sure that you boys don't want anything?" She asked as she turned to face the boys once more. This time, she caught the expressions on their faces; they looked like they were mourning, almost as if they had just been through something horrendous. "Is something the matter?"

"Well," Sora finally spoke up; his voice cracking from the strain it took to speak so loud. "It's about Stefa. There's something you should know." He glanced at the other two.

**XxX**

An hour passed while the boys told Wilma what had happened. Only a few minutes into their tale, Kairi and Naminé had come downstairs to tell them all that Kath was sleeping. Wilma found herself fixing some hot cocoa for herself, Kath, and the teenagers sitting in her kitchen. "I-it's such a shame, it being her birthday tomorrow and all..." The distraught aunt murmured quietly as she handed each person their mugs. "It's even more of a shame that I never listened to Stefa. After all, if little black beings could jump into this world and kill so many, why couldn't it be true that she went to another world and fought? I am such a fool."

"No, you're not," argued Kairi. "It would seem barbaric to anyone of sound mind if they hadn't experienced it firsthand."

Wilma simply shook her head. "Her mother and uncle are probably frowning upon me right now. I let Stefa lose her heart... But maybe she's with them now."

Roxas also shook his head, mumbling, "No, not Stefa. She had a strong heart. If anything, she has a Nobody."

"Roxas, even if we could make her Nobody whole, she would be different from Stefa," reminded Naminé, and he had to agree. The two of them were extremely different from Sora and Kairi.

"How can you bring someone back from the darkness?" Riku muttered quietly, "That's nearly impossible."

"It's not." Kairi argued once again, "I brought Sora back, didn't I?"

"But, somehow, I don't feel that Stefa would be the same type of Heartless as Sora, even if she _does_ have a Heartless," stated Naminé. "Over half of her heart is surrounded in darkness, and although that darkness should make her more malevolent, it doesn't. If her heart was in complete darkness again, well, then we would have a big mess on our hands."

Sora nodded a little grimly, "In the meantime, we have to find Stefa's Nobody and do what we can from there. That means we might need some help."

"But we have no ship," argued Riku. "We can't go anywhere or do anything without a Gummi Ship."

"I wonder if we could program Stefa's computer to reach the Radiant Garden?" wondered Kairi, speaking to no one in particular.

Roxas agreed, "It's worth a shot." He turned to face Wilma, who had been quietly sipping her hot cocoa while they discussed. "You don't mind if we inconvenience you for a little longer, do you?" She shook her head before grabbing Kath's mug and heading upstairs.

"Do what you can to bring my niece back," was all she said before disappearing up the stairs. The teenagers exchanged looks before they also headed upstairs.

**XxxxxX**

A certain blond-haired man awoke with a start. He had been quietly snoozing before the large computer in the old wizard's house when the sound of static awoke him. Cid groggily looked around before grunting and closing his eyes again. There was more static, and, this time, a voice. "Sora to Radiant Garden, do you read me? Over." At first, Cid was sure that he was dreaming, but then the voice repeated himself once more, this time with a key of desperation.

Cid shook the sleep off, pressing several keys so that the Sora's face appeared on the screen. Peering over his shoulders was the redheaded Kairi, the time witch Naminé, duel keyblade-wielding Roxas, and the ex-denizen of darkness Riku. "What in all of the hells are you contacting me for at this hour?" He grunted at the five of them.

"It's nice to see you again, too, Cid," said Kairi said a faint smile. The pilot waved her off as he waited for an answer.

In a serious voice, Sora said, "We've got a big problem here, Cid. Stefa lost her heart to a Heartless and now we're pretty sure that she's roaming around in the darkness with a Nobody running around here somewhere."

"That's not a very nice way to put it, kid," called the voice of another man. He was quite tall, donned in baggy black jeans, a black jacket with flames running down the sleeves and all over the back. The most noticeable thing about him was his spiked red hair.

Roxas and Naminé called, "Axel!"

Axel grinned. "You've got a mess on your hands over there, don't you?"

"We need a Gummi Ship as soon as possible," replied Sora.

**XxxxxX**

Waves were lapping up a beach in another world. All was dark except for the light given off by the large white moon in the sky. The tide was high and the hour was late, but there was still a girl snoozing away on the fishing pier; she was laying on one of the benches, totally undetected given the pier was, otherwise, empty. Her dark brown hair had silver streaks running throughout it and was tied into a low ponytail so that her long hair reached just below her middle back.

Somewhere below, a large shark smashed against one of the pier's legs in a failed attempt to catch dinner. At the noise, the girl awoke and sat up to take in her surroundings, only to find this place was unfamiliar to her as any other place would be. She was lost, confused, and tired. The very early morning was rather cool, making her glad that she was wearing long jeans with a strange sign repeating on both legs.

Her shirt was a white t-shirt with a pink daisy that had a heart-shaped center. As she shivered, she thought, _'Well, at least I have jeans.'_ The pier's lights abruptly turned themselves on, allowing her to take in her surroundings better as she leaned over the pier's railing. Down by the beach was a black blur standing by what would have been the edge of shore if it were not for the tide.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of wonder at what the person was doing, she ran down the pier and then descended the steps that led to the beach. She ran through the water as the waves crashed onto the shore, allowing her gym shoes and bottoms of her jeans to get soaked, but she didn't care. When she stopped a few feet before the blur, she noticed that it was a man wearing a black coat. She opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped when he held up a hand. "Do you know why you are here?" he asked in a deep voice, and the girl blinked a few times. What a strange question to ask a person. Well, it was strange, wasn't it? For some reason, the girl felt unsure. She did not respond, and the man chuckled. "Ah, a stubborn one, are we?"

"Do you know who I am?" she asked in a strained voice; it felt like she was speaking for the first time in her life. Her interest and confusion was overflowing, and she wanted answers... now. How was it that she looked seventeen but knew not a thing about herself?

"Answer that question yourself. Close your eyes and allow your memories to flow." The girl hesitantly obeyed and allowed her grey eyes to disappear beneath her eyelids. There was an image of a blonde girl with black-streaked hair and some strange weapon, but there was nothing more than that. She opened her eyes and stared at the man in wonder. "What did you see?"

"A girl..." She said, slowly, almost as if she thought that her answer would be wrong. "She had blond and black hair, and she had a strange weapon that looked like an oversized key."

"That is all?" The man inquired, and, even in his indifferent tone, she could hear the surprise.

"Yes," she replied solemnly.

The man took this in as he nodded his head. "Reixka."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Reixka; your name," he informed her, and, from below his hood, she could make out golden eyes glowing dangerously.

"Reixka," she repeated. It certainly was a... _different_ name. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "What do I do now?"

The man held out his hand and, in a moment, a black and purple flowing vortext appeared. "Come with me." He stood aside, allowing Reixka to go first, though she was a little hesitant to do so. "Come, and you will learn all you need to know." She decided that this seemed to be a step in the right direction and stepped into the portal, closely followed by the mysterious man.

**XxxxxX**

Five screams sounded as Roxas, Naminé, Kairi, Sora, and Riku hit the wooden floor of Merlin's house. Axel was leaning against a nearby wall and Cid was sitting at the computer chair, both of them staring at the dogpile, "Rough landing?" asked the redhead with a smirk. He held out a hand to help Naminé and left the others to get up on their own. Although someone usually would have smiled, laughed, or come up with an angry retort, their faces were wiped quite clean of emotions.

With a faint smirk, Cid said, "Right now would be about the time where Aerith got everyone some tea."

"With way too much sugar," added Sora with a nod, "Yeah."

Riku was all business, reminding the others, "We need to find a way to save Stefa's heart."

Axel nodded. "'Course, the others are in the kitchen." He entered the room first with Riku in hot pursuit while the others followed after.

Yuffie was leaning back in her chair with Leon sitting to her right. Cloud still looked the exact same as he did on his wedding except for the fact that he was wearing his regular clothes. Even Tifa looked the same although, Sora noticed, she was holding an infant swaddled in blankets. Marlene and Denzel's faces had aged a little, but their style hardly differed.

Maybe the most surprising thing was to see a tall woman with short brown hair, another tall woman with braided blonde hair, and a third tall woman with mousse-colored hair and black clothes. "Yuna? Rikku? _Paine_?" Sora asked incredulously; the three of them were fairies no more. Yuna smiled in response, Rikku gave him a little wave, and Paine nodded her head in acknowledgment.

"It's a long story," said Yuna.

Under her breath, Paine added, "Really annoying, too."

"Let's hear exactly what happened." Leon told them as Sora and the others sat, "When you're ready."

Sora began, "As you probably know, the King sent us a little while ago to keep an eye on things in Stefa's world..."

**XxxxxX**

Reixka was starting to wonder why she had followed a mysterious man into a dark portal. Now that she thought of it, something in the back of her mind was telling her this was an unwise decision, but it was such a small nagging part that she ignored it completely. "The Superior did well," the blonde woman, Larxene, commented as Reixka followed their 'Superior' down a hall. "Now we finally have another female member."

"You're welcome," said Demyx with an uncharacteristic smirk.

Larxene rolled her eyes. "I should be thanking the _Heartless_ that did it, moron." Several others sniggered at the sitar player, who slunk off to his temporary room.

The hallways were so _white_ in this castle, almost to the point that it was annoying. They finally stopped at a door at the end of the hallway with the Roman numeral "VIII" engraved into it. "This isn't a new room, but we'll only be here for a while. In the meantime, this will be your room." The Superior told Reixka before he summoned another black-purple portal and disappeared into it. Reixka stared blankly at the spot where he had left before she shrugged and entered the room.

If Reixka had thought that she'd seen it all, then she had been wrong. One of the key motifs of the room was the flames painted on the walls, not that she minded. Her hand traced one of the flames on the wall, but she quickly drew it back; she was almost willing to swear that the painted flame had burned her. She drew away from the wall and collapsed on the bed situated in the middle of the room. Other than the bed and a desk, it seemed that the room had been emptied of any and all furniture that it may have once held.

Beside her, she found one of the long black coats with a note. "'this is your uniform, wear any clothes under it that you would like'," she read aloud, eyebrows furrowed together. "Something tells me wearing these clothes under that coat would be a very warm mistake." She picked up the coat, allowing the note to fall to the crimson carpet.

**XxxxxX**

"How the heck is this plan going to be executed?" Rikku asked with a frown. "You either have to find the Nobody, or the Heartless that's taken her heart."

Riku shook his head. "That's the problem, though. I think her heart went straight to Kingdom Hearts."

"No, that wouldn't make sense," argued Naminé. "Her heart would go to her Nobody." Several other people opened their mouths to argue, but all went silent as Leon raised a hand.

"Calm down. The problem with _all_ of this is that nothing like this has ever happened in written history, so no one knows what's actually happened with her heart." He sat a little straight. "We're going to have to find this Nobody of Keira's."

With a faint, wry, smile, Kairi gently corrected, "Stefa's."

"We don't even know where the Organization _is_," reminded Roxas.

Yuffie piped up, "Let's think on that for a minute. Where have you ever seen the Organization, aside from the World that Never Was?" The table sighed as they thought of this; it was unlikely the Nobodies would return to said world, given that the castle had been destroyed two years earlier.

With a smirk, Roxas said, "Somehow, I don't think you'd find them hiding in the Beast's courtyard though; not unless they wanted Beast to tear them apart."

"They wouldn't be in Twilight Town, either. Especially not in the Alternate one," added Riku.

Axel grinned. "Yep, that was my turf."

"So where else _was_ Organization XIII?" asked Kairi, frowning.

"Well," Naminé murmured quietly, "Not _all _of them were there, but..."

"Castle Oblivion," finished Riku and Axel in perfect unison, not knowing why they had not thought of it first..

Tifa mumbled, "How do you get inside of a castle that's seemingly inside of the real realm of the darkness?"

To answer her question, Axel held out a hand and summoned a portal behind him. "What better way to enter the realm of darkness than using a portal of darkness?"

* * *

**A/N: Ew, this was a short chapter. In all honesty, I've been working on this since I got back on Friday, but I keep getting distracted by playing Final Fantasy X-2. Heh. Originally the Nobody's name was going to be Rexka, but I thought that Reixka was a lot cuter. See you next chapter.**


	4. Lost Solutions

**A/N: This chapter was, for whatever reason, very hard to write. Be happy that I managed to get it up at all. xD**

**Disclaimer-Kingdom Hearts isn't mine, sheesh.  
**

* * *

"Close the portal, Axel." It was surprising for anyone to hear Kairi speaking in a commanding voice, let alone speaking to Axel that way. Though clearly flabbergasted, he reluctantly closed the portal to appease her wish.

Sora turned toward her. "Kai, what is it?"

"You couldn't really have believed that I would have thought this was a good idea," she muttered quietly. "We need to find her Nobody, but we can't go running after Organization XIII so soon."

"I agree," said Cid from across the table. He took out his chewing tobacco as he overlooked the distraught group. "Weren't the group of you havin' trouble with the Organization when you were in good practice?" They slowly nodded their heads, seeing where he was getting at.

"But we can't just wait and let Keira's - Stefa's," Cloud quickly corrected himself, "heart sit in the darkness, or Kingdom Hearts, or that Organization!" His sudden outburst easily caused the baby beside him to start crying.

Tifa stood, quietly shushing the baby as she started out of the room. "Let me take Aerith upstairs."

"Aerith, huh?" asked Roxas while Naminé's eyes became starry.

"That's so sweet!" she squealed, her mind temporarily away from the situation.

Paine's calm voice returned them to their conversation. "We need to think for another minute here. What better way to get back into practice than to visit other worlds?" Riku glared at her so coldly that, surely, it would have caused anyone other than Paine to freeze.

Sora's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"Other worlds, including this one, have reported having many Nobodies," Leon told them.

Pouting, Yuffie added, "And you saw how beautiful we made this place!"

"Don't you guys need help here?" Roxas asked, surprised.

Rikku waved him off. "Do you not see that we've got powerful Leon and Cloud here? We're just fine." She said as she and Yuna giggled.

"What worlds are having trouble?" asked Kairi.

"Let's see," Yuna tapped her chin, "Twilight Town, Halloween Town, the Pride Lands, Atlantica, the Land of Dragons, Olympus Coliseum, Neverland, and I'm sure there will soon be more."

"It looks like we could be of some help to other worlds while we're trying to figure this out," stated Naminé with a small nod. "We might be able to figure out if anyone has heard anything about the Organization, too."

Roxas and Sora turned toward Riku. "What do you say?"

Though it was clearly not what he wanted, he reluctantly agreed, "...Alright."

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, though!" said Rikku with a pout. "Stay here for the day."

"I thought you said that you guys were 'just fine'?" Riku asked with a quirked eyebrow while Rikku laughed nervously.

Yuna grinned. "We could always use more help, and, besides, after a couple of years, don't you just _miss_ us?"

"It'll be a good way to start our training," agreed Sora with a smile. "Let's do it."

Rikku jumped out of her seat and ran to the fridge. "Perfect! I'll get some drinks."

"She _does_ realize that we're all perfectly capable of taking the few steps it takes to get to the fridge, right?" Kairi whispered to Yuna and Paine.

Paine shrugged. "I've been around these two for so long that I've finally stopped asking questions." Yuna giggled.

**XxxxxX**

A bubbly Elie found herself heading for Stefa's house to see if she had found out anything about Riku and the others. The first thing she realized when she reached the house was that, when she approached the driveway, the flag that hung off the garage was at half mass. Elie thought this particularly odd as nothing significant had occurred in the world for this to happen; however, when she rang the doorbell and the door flew open, she was unsure.

Elie recognized the one who opened the door as Jake, Stefa's twenty-something-year old cousin. He was such a carefree knucklehead that she was surprised to see his eyes puffy and bloodshot. "Uhm, is Stefa here?" She asked a little hesitantly as the boy gave a great sniff.

"She's gone with her heart," moaned Jake, another very unusual thing for him to do. "Those friends of hers, Sora, Riku, Roxas, Kairi, and Naminé, they set off to find her." His trembling eyes could take it no more as the tears filled over the brim and down his face, causing him to slam the door in Elie's face.

She blinked at the wood before her. "They were here, Stefa lost her heart, and they didn't come and tell me...?" Her hands closed into fists and she closed her eyes tightly to stop any tears from falling. "Damn it." She muttered stomping her right foot. "Damn it!" Elie found herself shouting before she opened her eyes, wet with tears. She held out her hand automatically and found herself surprised that she could still call upon a portal. "A-almost every person has a N-Nobody. I'll fix this anyway that I can," she declared, turning her back on the house and entering the darkness.

**XxxxxX**

How could you tell if you were alive or not in such bitter darkness? It was a biting cold that continuously washed over Stefa and she wondered if the only reason that she could see her body was because she was dead. It was a familiar darkness, but it felt different: more cold and bitter and terrifying. "I... lost my heart, didn't I?" She whispered, but her voice still echoed in the nothingness.

She soon found herself just floating in one place in the darkness, staring up at more black. Well, pretty soon, her vision wasn't only filled with black. A face dipped over hers with a casual smirk. "You figured it out, huh?" The boy muttered, shaking his head. "You always _were_ the clever one," he added in a sarcastic voice.

"How can a figment of my imagination be making _fun_ out of me?" Stefa growled with annoyance. "This must be my imagination because, surely, I could never see your face again."

"My name isn't 'Shirley' though." The familiar brunette boy stated with a wider smirk, the same boy that had been haunting her dreams for the past two years.

**XxxxxX**

"So Yuna's taken up Aerith's place as the healer of the group, huh?" asked Sora of Leon as the two of them watched said girl heal a deep cut on Naminé's leg, caused by an Assassin.

Leon nodded. "It's good that they showed up when they did, but they never said why they look the way they do now."

"Sure they did, silly," said Yuffie as she joined them. "They said that it had been some spell cast by Maleficent, which is probably the only other reason they were helping her in the first place, and it wore off after she was killed by us."

"It all still seems weird, though," mumbled Sora.

"Doesn't all of this?" sighed Tifa's from behind them. Sora remembered, with ease, how taken Stefa had been with Tifa and Cloud, and vice versa. "It's a terrible greeting to receive two years later, and we weren't left a very good one from Keira in the first place. I mean, Stefa."

Sora sighed, "This must be terrible for Cloud."

"You have _no_ idea," agreed Tifa. "It's heartbreak for him. At least last time he had a bit of faith that Stefa was okay, but, now, we're presented with direct proof that she's not."

Out of nowhere, Yuffie asked, "You know, wouldn't Stefa have a Heartless somewhere?"

"I was thinking about that too, but I somehow doubt it. I don't think that she can have a regular Heartless, even if she does have darkness covering half of her heart. I think it needs to be plunged into darkness only and, still, she would still have her body, just be completely evil." Leon stated as they continued to stare at Yuna and Naminé for seemingly no reason. The fact of the matter was that no one understood Stefa's heart; they were just learning things as they went along.

Tifa wondered, "Would she have a Nobody then?"

Sora nodded his head slowly. "I think that she still would because she has such a strong heart, but I think it'll be like Naminé; her Nobody won't have any real memories. Maybe that means it's Riku's turn to have false memories planted inside of him," he said, laughing with the others.

**XxxxxX**

Any outsider would have a difficult time adjusting to life in an organization whose objectives were unknown; unknown only to Reixka, apparently. She had quickly learned to ignore the whispers in the halls, had adjusted to the large, annoying, and common meetings. One of the oddest as of late was admitting an older member back into the Organization. The member was girl with a heart who had betrayed the Organization, so why they still wanted her... It didn't matter, though, not to Reixka.

The only thing that mattered was the fact that she, herself, had a distinct feeling of loss within her. She did not know _why _she felt that way, but she did. At the moment, she was lying across her bed, staring at the ceiling, which was dark blue. She was pleased that her room had color; anything to save her from the suffocating white that was within the entire castle.

Aside from the world doors; those had color. She'd never been allowed inside as no one knew of the conditions of them now. Apparently, they still contained the cards of the boy... the Keyblade Master's memories.

Reixka put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes; there was no comforting rhythm of a heart. She was aware of what she was now, a 'Nobody'; a being without a heart. Though she should not have been able to feel without a heart, her eyes fluttered opened as they filled with burning liquid.

"What is this?" she whispered, her voice trembling as the liquid slid down her cheek and onto the tip of her finger as she touched her face. Reixka placed her finger to her mouth and licked it; it was salty. "Warm salt water?" But something within her said otherwise. _'Tears. Tears fall when you cry. You cry when you feel sadness or happiness, sometimes.'_

"I don't feel, though," she told herself, placing her hand to her chest once more. There was still no reassuring thump. "Why does this feel so wrong? So sick and so terrible?"

"Because it is," a female voice answered. Standing in her doorway was the chocolate-haired girl that had joined the Organization. She stared at Reixka's tear-streaked face as said Nobody sat up, staring back at her. _'If it weren't for those highlights, I'd be sure that I was in the wrong place, but I must be right.'_

"Another beautiful thing about this place is that the term 'privacy' is unknown," growled Reixka without emotion as her stare turned into a glare.

"You need answers, and you'll want them soon enough." Elie told her in a controlled, calm voice, though it was taking a lot of willpower to not scream out happily that this girl was definitely Stefa's Nobody. _'At least, I'm 99.9 percent sure. Her attitude, that's definitely Stef!'_

"I want answers about a lot of things," said Reixka in the same emotionless voice, though it was steadily becoming cold. "You can leave now."

Elie quirked an eyebrow, "Are you gonna force me?"

"Well, actually..." Reixka scrambled to her feet, not skipping a beat as an oversized key with a familiar design materialized in her hand. Elie laughed at this, a childish sound.

She curtsied with a wide smile, "Whatever you say, Princess." With that, Elie pulled out of the room, leaving a confused Nobody in her wake.

"Princess?" echoed Reixka as she stared at the strange weapon. _'The same one that the other girl had...'_ she remembered, staring at the broken hearts on the key.

**XxxxxX**

Kairi and Naminé had lost count of the number of times they had gone to Yuna for healing. The last time had been the most serious. As foolish as it was for the two of them to be a duo in destroying Nobodies in one part of the world (The Great Maw/Graveyard), everyone else had split into other groups so that they could take care of every other inch of the Radiant Garden.

The last time Yuna healed them was because of their fight with a Behemoth; the Behemoths that Sora had encountered looked like kittens in comparison to the one Naminé and Kairi had taken on. To make matters worse, it had been a Nobody, which made it abnormally strong; at least they had managed to defeat it. "It seems the Organization has finally gotten around to making stronger Nobodies. First, the Twilight Thorn and now a Behemoth," noted Axel as he watched the terrible cuts on Kairi's skin disappear with the touch of Yuna's white magic.

"I have to admit that it's good that we're sticking around here to train," muttered Riku, also watching Kairi being healed, thinking about how much worse things would be without Yuna.

**XxX**

"_'You've screwed up everything, Demyx,_'" mumbled the Nobody in question as he strolled amongst the flowers in the Great Maw. He had watched Kairi and Naminé make mincemeat out of the Behemoth Nobody after it made several good attempts on their lives. "_'That Nobody of the girl should've had the princess' heart, but it didn't. Why didn't you just capture her in the first place?'_" He quoted, sourly, from the meeting he had just attended. "Well, I told them that they sent the wrong guy, but since when do they ever listen?"

Larxene turned toward him with a snarl. "Stop _talking_ to yourself, Demyx!" She had been walking ahead of him for quite some time, but now stopped to allow him to catch up. "Since you're such an idiot, _I_ had to come here, too."

"I don't understand what we have to do, anyway," complained Demyx, arms folded over his chest.

Larxene smacked her forehead. "We are here to see Roxas and the others so we can get answers from them; they always knew more about that princess' heart than Maleficent. Got it?" She asked so fiercely that Demyx only nodded his head with a terrified expression. "Good." As they exited the Great Maw, went past the Fissure, and finally made it to the castle gates, Demyx noticed one of two things. For one, the gates looked much more put together since the time he had fought Sora. Two, there was a slightly familiar blonde girl fighting off Dusks and Assassins.

Larxene stared at the girl and then Demyx, back to the girl and then Demyx again. "Do you _know_ her?" She finally asked at the expression on his face.

He nodded solemnly as he thought for a minute. "I think that she was helping Maleficent once... Only, she was usually with two brown-haired girls. The three of them used to look like pixies, though."

Larxene grabbed a handful of kunai. "Well, either way, she would be the enemy. Not to mention her being all by herself is _such_ an easy target." A familiar expression appeared on her face as a sadistic smiled pulled at her lips.

"We need to figure out what happened to the princess's heart, remember, Larxene? If you kill off one of their friends, they might get mad." He reminded her, but they were cut short when Rikku killed off the last enemy and noticed them. Recognizing the black cloaks as a sign of trouble, she quickly turned tail.

Larxene rubbed her temples, summoning a portal. "And now our cover is blown. _Now _I'm going to kill her."

Rikku climbed the walls instead of taking the stairs through the Bailey and, on the last wall, scaled a rooftop. From there, she jumped rooftop to rooftop until she reached Merlin's house, finding a few of the others assembled outside. "Uhm, guys? We've got a bit of a..." She paused as Larxene and Demyx exited a portal that appeared on the adjacent rooftop. "...Problem," she finished, a nervous smile on her face.

Larxene glared at the Al Bhed girl, "Fast but not fast enough, what a tragedy." She hurled her kunai, and Rikku had little to no trouble dodging.

Rikku stuck her tongue out. "Bad aim!" she called, grinning.

Paine, beside Yuna on the ground, shook her head. "You know that she's going to need rescuing in a few seconds, right?"

Yuna nodded. "Yeah, but, in the meantime, we'll let her believe that she's beating them..."

"Demyx, if you would," whispered Larxene as she took a few steps back, and he stepped forward with sitar in hand.

On the ground, Sora took three steps forward, Ultima above his head. "What are you doing?" whispered Kairi.

"Saving Rikku, I hope," he answered. "Thundaga!" A bolt of lightning shot out from the tip of his keyblade, but Larxen, who had anticipated this, deflected the spell with hers. Demyx strummed his sitar once, twice, and a huge geyser shot out of nowhere beneath Rikku, first sending her into the air, and then sending her hurling toward the ground.

Shocked by the new development, no one made a move, leaving Rikku to fall. Fortunately for her, a strong blond-haired man stood beneath where she would have fallen and caught her with ease. "Thanks, Cloud," she mumbled sheepishly, cheeks blushing.

**XxX**

Since Demyx and Larxene departed for another world, Reixka had found the day after Elie badgered her to be both good and bad. Good because she was still kind of afraid of Larxene, and bad because she liked hanging out with Demyx. She awkwardly wandered around the castle, making sure to stray away from the world doors. Having learned earlier that day to summon a portal, she used one to get to the first floor of the castle. From there, for the first time, she stepped outside. Though she was unsure if she was or was not allowed to do this, she did so anyway.

When she stepped outside, she realized that it was dark out and, when she examined the castle, she noted creepy clouds surrounding the higher levels. Rei glanced back at the sky, wondering, though she did not know why, if it was eternally dark in this particular world. _'Whatever, it's a welcome change to all of the white inside.' _She gazed around and did not find much other than a dirt road that led away from the castle; Zexion had told her that it stretched very far and that it was probably not wise to follow.

She sighed at the emptiness as she summoned a portal. "It's so boring here." Another portal appeared directly beside her, and she jumped.

"It's good that you think that," remarked a man with a long ponytail and an eye patch. She recognized him as the Free-shooter, Xigbar.

Her portal flickered and disappeared. "Why's that?"

He did not answer her, instead saying, "The Superior wants to talk to you," he started back into his portal, "Come on."

Upon following him, she found herself in the temporary meeting room **(A/N: In Re: CoM, there was a room that Larxene, Axel, and Marluxia always met in to talk about their plans. This is the meeting room.) **Aside from the Superior, Saïx and, she noted with disdain, Elie, the room was empty.

"Number Fifteen has informed me that you can wield a weapon, the mysterious keyblade," stated Xemnas; the weapon flashed into her hand. "Yet you have no memories of your original self, is this true?" She nodded. Apart from the image of the girl holding the keyblade, she knew nothing. "In that case, I will allow you to join the other Organization members in searching each world."

She glanced down at the keyblade's intricate design. "Excuse me, but... What do you mean by 'searching each world'?"

"The Organization is on a... search, you could say, for the Heartless of your Somebody. We also have other Nobodies stationed in many worlds," answered Saïx in a way that made it seem that there was more to it than that.

Reixka looked back to Xemnas. "Where am I going?"

"We are giving you free reign. However, if you do something that you shouldn't, there will be serious consequences." His expression did not change, but his voice, in its utter seriousness, painted a decent picture of what would happen to her.

Reixka nodded, a slightly frightened expression her face as she summoned a portal. "I'll do my best."

Once she was gone, Xemnas announced to the remainder of the room, "Once we find the Princess's Heartless, we will need the boy, Riku." Saïx and Xigbar nodded in understanding, as did Elie. He said nothing more, which she took as her sign to leave.

Her heart clenched as she disappeared into a portal, and, only then, did she allow her fear to show.

**XxxxxX**

Sora took a few steps closer to the building Larxene and Demyx were standing atop. "What do the two of you want?"

Larxene smiled sadistically. "Tell us more about Stefa's heart structure, and you'll get something in return."

The group did not need to look at one another to come to a decision. "No."

She shrugged. "If you don't want to know about her Nobody, then..." Larxene turned around, and disappeared into a portal with Demyx.

Sora and Riku cried, "Wait!" The portal reappeared before them, and the two Nobodies stepped out, grinning.

"I thought you might have a change of heart," admitted Larxene. "Spill it. Where would we find her Heartless?"

"You wouldn't." It was Cid who spoke, having just returned from the castle.

Larxene's eyebrows knitted together as she spun around. "Excuse me?"

"She wouldn't have a Heartless, because she can only have one under special circumstances." He held up a bunch of papers to Sora and the others. "I was just searching Ansem the Wise's computer, and I found one last report."

This seemed to upset Larxene quite a bit. "Damn it!"

"What now?" Demyx asked as she summoned a portal and pushed him inside.

Glaring at the others before disappearing into it, she grumbled, "You get off this time."

"What about her Nobody?" demanded Riku, but the two were already gone.

Yuffie glanced at the reports as he joined them. "Is it true, Cid?"

"Sadly so. It says that she would never have a Heartless, but a Nobody with few memories. He also said that it would be a big problem if her heart was lost to the darkness since it would be impossible to call back," he reported bitterly.

"There's nothing that we can do?" asked Naminé in a quiet voice.

Tifa frowned, "The odds don't look so good."

Kairi shook her head, voice full of determination. "But the odds don't matter. I called back Sora from the darkness, so there _must_ be a way to get Stefa back. She's there somewhere, waiting for us to help her."

Riku smiled. "Kairi's right. We can't lose hope now."

**XxxxxX**

"Are you really you?" asked Stefa, who was seated on the 'ground.' Now that she was not completely alone, she felt more in control.

The brown-haired boy ran a hand through his hair to push it out of his face. "Why, yes, I do believe that I am me."

"No one else can be a smartass like you, Quince," she said with a faint, fond smile as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

Quince stared at her. "Your heart is gone, you're floating through darkness, and still you can manage even a small smile?

"I can't find the light to get out of here this time," she mumbled, seriously, with her eyes still closed.

There was a sad expression his face, but she could not see it. "You don't have a Heartless, you know? I'm not sure if there's a way that you can return to the world."

"My heart isn't nowhere, you know," she said in a matter-of-fact voice, "My Nobody has it. It's strange, but I can feel it... somehow." Her eyes fluttered opened in time to find brown eyes directly over hers. She could feel the press of lips on hers and returned it; it was so familiar, and yet... _'Wrong.' _Something inside of her said.

"You'll be alright," he announced as his lips left hers. "You have the right friends looking to save you."

Stefa's eyes filled with emotion as she fought to keep them open, but they slowly slid shut again. "Are you really real?" She asked, numbness beginning to overcome her. _'Friends? Who are they? Why can't I...?'_

"You know, that's really a good question," he agreed, a small smirk on his face. "I'll always be with you, though, Stefa. Whether or not you can hear me or see me, you'll always be able to feel me. This darkness won't..." Quince trailed off as his body began to disappear into golden light. "...last long."

And that was the last she heard as numbness engulfed her with darkness.

**XxxxxX**

_'Help me.'_ Reixka blinked as she heard the voice, which sounded loud and close to her ear. It was impossible; there was no one there, in the Marketplace. Her boots thumped against the stairs as she descended them and glanced in the direction of a fountain, _'Cute,'_ she thought. Her hood was pulled up in order to obscure her face, something Xigbar had advised her to do. It didn't bother her, much, but, when she approached the fountain, she took it off, feeling oddly curious.

Someone was staring back, a girl with blond hair with black highlights and sections of red. She smiled at Reixka who stared at her dumbly. The girl resembled her quite a lot, only Reixka's hair was in a long braid while the girl's was down; the girl also looked kinder. Oddly, as she stared at the reflection, she realized that the girl in it had a heart. '_Wait, what am I thinking? This reflection, which isn't even mine, could not have a heart. It can't even be.' _She placed her hand on the back of her head. _'What is wrong with me?'_ The reflection was smiling, which seemed quite odd, and Reixka wondered why for a moment. When she pulled her hood back, the reflection of the blonde disappeared.

_'I've been to see him.' _A voice echoed in Roxas' head as he ran into the marketplace, barely able to hear his own footsteps because of it. One of the workers had alerted him that there was a suspicious-looking girl in the marketplace. He had described her with brown hair that had silver highlights. _'He looks a lot like you.'_ He came to a dead stop in the center of the marketplace as he noticed the suspicious girl, dressed in an organization coat.

She was facing in the opposite direction of him with her hood pulled up, but he still had no doubts that this was the girl he had been warned about. Apparently feeling his eyes burning holes in her back, she turned to face him and, out of reaction, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared.

Even though her face was shrouded in the darkness, he could tell she was glaring. She was distantly surprised when a keyblade of her own flashed into her hands, made of white metal and decorated with cherry blossom petals. "Who are you?" demanded Roxas.

"I know all about you," she growled. "You're one of _them_; a keyblade wielder."

Roxas reminded her, "You're wielding one, too!"

"Shut up!" She shouted, charging with her weapon. For some odd reason, seeing this boy caused her an abnormal amount of pain. As she neared him, he could feel the confusion, anger, and hate radiating off of her in waves.

_'She's her.'_ He did not know how he knew that, but he did. The sound of metal clashing emitted as his keyblades clashed against hers. Roxas had hit her so hard that her hood flew right off to reveal pale grey eyes and dark brown hair with streaks. She let out a cry of frustration, and pushed harder. _'She must be.'_

_**'I've been to see him; he looks a lot like you.'  
**_

* * *

__**A/N: And there you have it, end of chapter four. This is a bit longer than last time, I'm trying to make up for the short chapter. My intentions for this story's plot are drifting in another direction as they so often do when I write, but don't be alarmed, if anything, it will make the story longer and more interesting.**

**See you guys next chapter. :D**


	5. Far off Memories

**A/N: 6.15.11: I added, very slightly, to this chapter. Not the hugest deal, but something that was necessary, according to the final story. **

Old: **Once again, I don't have any snappy comments; that's surprising. Try not to get too confused in this chapter; the huge italicized parts are memories. Otherwise, the basic italicized sentences are thoughts. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer-Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. D: Reixka is, though. :D**

* * *

Demyx and Larxene returned to the meeting room to deliver their bad news. "There's absolutely _no_ chance of her having a Heartless?" asked Zexion, surprised.

"But that is scientifically impossible, it's just not..." Vexen began, but he was cut off by a glare from Larxene.

"Stop with your scientific-ness," she demanded. "The Princesses of Heart don't have any."

"But they don't usually get Nobodies," reasoned Marluxia. "Naminé was a special case."

Xemnas had a far off look in his eyes. "There is only one other explanation. Number Fourteen has a heart, but it is deep within her."

Xigbar stared at the superior. "How are we supposed to take the heart away from her?"

"There are ways," was the only response. "It does not matter much for Number Fourteen either way; she will be left as a shell, a Nobody."

Standing, Saïx asked, "When should we go looking for her?"

Xemnas waved his hand unimportantly. "We have time on our hands. Let her do what she likes for now, and we'll focus on our other task at hand."

**XxxxxX**

Reixka was thrown away from Roxas after another series of painful combos though, this time, she did not immediately get back up. She put a hand to her chest to feel the soothing nothingness, but, instead, felt frantic thumping. Her eyes were filled with tears, and, as she flipped over on all fours, teardrops fell to the concrete along with blood as she spat it out of her mouth. Roxas continued to hold Oblivion and Oathkeeper defensively as he took a few steps forward to examine her.

She spat out some more blood and turned her head so that she was staring at her enemy. For a moment, another face was staring at him, Stefa's, and Roxas stumbled backward. When he regained his composure, he noticed her tearstained face, "But, Nobodies can't feel..."

She smiled very faintly as more tears rolled down her cheek, "Nobodies can't be," she added, standing and not caring as her body ached in protest. Soon enough, her feelings of pain and sorrow numbed into nothing, _'I have to get out of here.' _She wasted no time in summoning and disappearing into a portal.

Naminé looked over the wall just in time to watch the portal disappear. She put her legs over it and jumped down, running to Roxas' side. "Roxas, what happened?" Oathkeeper and Oblivion disappeared as he stared at the place the portal had been.

"I fought her, Nam." Roxas mumbled, "Stefa's Nobody, and she can... feel."

**XxxxxX**

Reixka half-stumbled through the corridors of darkness, not knowing where to go, and finally chose the most appealing thing: a world with a beach.

The beach was, to say the least, beautiful. There was a small pier before her, a large ship attached to part of the island on her left, an islet, and a waterfall that emptied into a small pool behind her. Exhausted, and wondering how a Nobody could _feel_ exhausted, she searched for some place dark to rest. She spotted a small opening beside the waterfall and hurriedly entered it.

It was nice and cool inside, though it did have a bit of a creepy feel to it. Drawings and writing seemed to cover all of the walls, she noticed, as she stumbled as far as she could. The cave dead ended at a door without a keyhole. "That's a bit funny," she mumbled, but did not pay much more attention to it as she dropped to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a drawing of a boy and girl sharing a star-shaped fruit. _'Sora and Kairi...' _Something in her mind told her as her eyes closed and she drifted.

**XxX**

"You've finally given me an opportunity to talk to you." Reixka opened her eyes at the sound of the unfamiliar – yet very familiar – voice and found herself somewhere that was completely blue. Rectangular and square shapes added some dimension to it, also allowing a person to stand or sit. When she looked up, she saw the girl from the fountain sitting on one of the rectangles, but she looked much older, somehow.

Her mouth moved automatically. "You don't look like me."

Smiling, the girl noted, "My Nobody's a sweetheart, isn't she?"

"Your Nobody?" echoed Reixka. "But, that's not..."

"Possible? Sure it is. Anything is possible in dreams. And, besides, I _am_ a part of you."

Reixka raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean that I'm a part of you?"

The girl shrugged. "I'm not sure. The mind slips when it wanders in darkness, you know."

"Huh?" _'This girl is a few fries short of a happy meal.'_

As if sensing her thoughts, the girl grinned. "Ah, you definitely _are _my Nobody. I used to say that all the time!" She became significantly more serious as she said, "My heart... or, our heart, I should say... Is within you, but my real mind isn't. I should be slumbering in darkness, I would think. I'm neither here nor there."

"You kind of sound like the Cheshire cat, you know that?" Reixka stated, though she did not know what a Cheshire cat was. _'Where are these thoughts coming rom?'_ \

"I probably do," agreed the girl, giggling. "I'm sort of glad I don't really share your mindset, though. You have some very dirty thoughts." She giggled again when Rei looked at the floor sheepishly.

Reixka forced her gaze to her chest. "You're inside of me?"

"Mm," answered the girl, "It's a little bit tricky."

"So I'm lugging around two people? That's crazy."

"You're a Nobody, who are you to say that this is crazy?"

"Hey!" shouted Reixka as she looked up, the cherry blossom keyblade materializing in her hand. "That was a racial comment."

Shadow Heart materialized in the girl's own hand, but she didn't make to attack her other; Reixka's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar keyblade. "Calm down. I guess, even in dreams, you can feel."

Calming down a little, Reixka asked, "Who are you?"

"My name?" asked the girl, tilting her head at an angle. "I'm Stefa. Or, I was Stefa. Either or." Reixka stared into her other's eyes this time and noticed that the girl wasn't as happy as she had first seen. In fact, filling Stefa's eyes was a terrible sadness; even her smiles were sad. "It's ironic that I feel more incomplete than you do, really. Then again, you _are_ the one with body and heart. The heart's just buried deep within."

Reixka looked back down at her chest and put a hand to it; she started when it thumped again. Bringing her gaze back to her other, she said, "You must have wanted to talk to me for a reason."

Silence passed for a few minutes. Before Reixka could speak again, the image of a tall boy with silver hair, sea-foam green eyes, and a handsome smile appeared in her mind, but he soon faded. "I..." Stefa sounded hesitant, "Wanted to warn you about the Organization. Surely they will realize that you have a heart..."

"My name isn't 'Shirley'." Reixka smirked as the words came to mind, along with a brown-haired boy, who faded away as quickly as the other.

"Very funny," scowled Stefa. "Anyway, the Organization will probably try to take your heart away."

Reixka raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that good for you?"

Stefa stared at her Nobody dumbly, and Reixka decided she was not exactly the cleverest. "Without a heart, you really _will_ be a Nobody," she informed her.

"I _am_ a Nobody."

"Yes and no..." Stefa sighed. "You will never feel. Ever. Eventually, you'll want a heart of your own."

Suddenly a thought popped into Reixka's head. "But... you can give people hearts, can't you?"

Stefa looked at her, clearly put-off. "How did you know that...?"

"Maybe your thoughts are becoming lost to you, but they are coming to me..." mumbled the Nobody. "Anyway, if you became you again, you could give me a heart."

Stefa shook her head. "Somehow, I don't think so... I think that it might be kind of special... But, anyway, I digress. Watch out for the Organization. If you don't mind losing your heart, then it doesn't really matter, but I just wanted to meet you..." Dusting off her red skirt, she stood and turned away.

"Wait! One more thing!" Her voice was almost pleading, but it didn't need to be; Stefa turned her head and nodded. "How would I become complete if you can't give me a heart?"

With a sad smile, she answered, "You'd have to merge with me." Her body disappeared into a golden light, leaving Reixka alone in the empty blue dimension. Once she was alone, a voice that was neither hers nor the girl's spoke, _'You cannot trust her, Reixka. Can't you see? She wants your heart; she wants to be again...'_

**XxxxxX**

Roxas and Naminé had returned to Merlin's house to explain what had happened. Fortunately, everyone was already gathered. "Are you sure that it was her Nobody?" asked Leon, quite seriously as they sat at the kitchen table.

"It's kind of a dead giveaway when you notice her brown hair with silver highlights; it's her opposite, like Nobodies tend to be. But, looking at her face, I was sure that it was her," replied Roxas, completely serious as he recalled Reixka on the ground, crying.

Kairi seemed surprised when she asked, "She's with Organization XIII?"

"It's not that surprising, really. Have you ever seen a Nobody not in the Organization?" At Roxas' words, all eyes in the room flew toward Naminé.

She held up her hands. "I don't really count. Xemnas found me, though. He never offered me a position in Organization XIII, even if he did take me to the castle." Sighing, she continued, "Marluxia was the first one to realize my powers, and, when he got to be in charge of Castle Oblivion, he convinced Xemnas to allow me under his 'care.' The only thing I ever was to the Organization was a tool."

"That's not true," mumbled Roxas.

"Naminé, some good came out of all of that, right?" She faced Axel with surrpise. "You met Sora, didn't you?"

Naminé nodded her head once, but she did not bother reasoning that Sora didn't even remember her when he had woken up. Sora also nodded, surprising both Kairi and Naminé. "We made a promise, right?" Naminé's mouth fell upon as her eyes widened.

Kairi's eyebrows furrowed together. "Sora?"

"I promised you that we would still be friends even after I regained my old memories," remembered Sora, staring down at his hands, "Because the memory would always be deep inside of me."

Naminé's confused expression finally softened into a smile. "Mm!" She agreed, nodding her head.

**XxxxxX**

_"Hey, where did Jack get to?"_ _asked_ _a girl with red hair as she looked around. She was wielding the strange key-like weapon, the keyblade. She appeared to be standing on a ship of some sort; a pirate ship. A beautiful older woman with long hair followed the redhead's gaze out to sea, as did a blonde in a sun dress, who also wielded a keyblade. The last girl by them also looked out to see, a sudden breeze casting about her blond hair as she kept a tight grip on Shadow Heart. _

_"Bloody coward!" growled the oldest woman. As they continued to watch the disappearing speck that was Captain Jack Sparrow, a violent rumble shook the ship so the two blondes and redheaded fell onto the deck. _

_With a voice full of disbelief, the dirty blonde remarked, "It's back already?" A load roar filled their ears as tentacles rose from beneath the water and struck every part of the pirate ship. The tentacles took the bodies in its range, drowning or throttling them..._

xxx

Reixka's vision flashed as something else filled her vision.

_The dirty blonde girl was perched on the wall that separated the land from the ocean. This place seemed somewhat familiar... The girl sighed dreamily with a smile on her face, but, when someone cleared their throat behind her, she quickly turned around. A boy with straight black hair wielding a crimson keyblade pointed it at her neck, and she immediately summoned her own keyblade. _

_"Stefa, it's been a while," he greeted her in a mostly emotionless voice with an edge of coldness. _

_"So it has, Quince," she agreed, her left hand balling into a fist as she glared at him._

_"I bet you're wondering how your friend, Kairi, is," he said casually, keyblade still near her throat._

"Where is?" she demanded, swinging Shadow Heart at him, hard. Too hard. "Oh, crap." Her footing was lost thanks to the viciousness of the movement, and she began to fall off of the wall. For just a minute, it looked like the boy, Quince, was reaching out to help her...

xxx

_"Now that you know who I am, will you go to Maleficent for me? Do it for me, Stefa." The black-haired boy, Quince, asked in a raspy voice. Stefa stared at him and disbelief as her eyes trailed to his hair. "Haha. My hair changed from brown to black because of darkness. Yours has, too." _

_She bit her lip as she became thoughtful of the decision she had to make. Finally, she took an uncertain step forward, and made to make another, when a voice sounded. _

_"Don't do it!" It was the same voice from the Magical House's ruins. She expected that, like before, the voice would not have a source, so she gasped when, just a few feet away, was a blonde girl wearing a white sun dress. _

_"Who are you?" she asked with disbelief._

_"I am a witch, I guess. My name is Naminé." The response only confused her further._

_"But you're Kairi's Nobody!" This whole Nobody business was hurting her head. _

_Naminé smiled wryly.__ "If you want to get technical, I'm Sora's Nobody."_

_"How are you here? You should be there." Stefa pointed at the redheaded girl, Kairi, who seemed to be frozen in place. The others around them were frozen, too. _

_"I think that, because of who you are... You have the ability to see hearts. At least some, and I am a part of Kairi's heart. Oh, I can stop time, too." Naminé added, gesturing to the frozen forms of Quince and what looked like the dark form of Stefa. _

_Stefa stared in surprise for a few moment before turning toward the golden fountain._ _"Naminé, I don't know what to do." _

_Naminé smiled without humor. __"I'm only a Nobody; I'm not real."_

_"That's not true! You're just as real as me, but you don't have a form." Stefa corrected her as she shook her head and screwed her eyes._

_The Nobody's smile became a little more amused. **'That seems a little ironic,' **noted Naminé, though her gentle playfulness faded as light began to engulf her body._

_At the sound of Naminé's gasp, she reopened her eyes; Naminé was staring at her arms and legs while she twisted and twirled, as if she had never looked at her own body before. Stefa realized, after a moment or so, why the Nobody was acting that way and distantly felt her mouth drop. "You're... solid?"_

**xxx**

Reixka awoke with a start, confused as to where she was until she remembered the cave. _'Stefa's memories...'_ She thought, feeling a stab of pity in 'her' heart at what she had seen. _'At one point, you were just as confused as me... but I still don't understand. The black-haired boy, Quince, he looked like the brown-haired one I saw. And I wonder who the silver-haired one was...'_

Finally, she forced herself off of the cool ground and exited. Outside, she was greeted by the bright sun as it set, and the ridiculous warmth of the beach. She walked down the beach and stopped once she reached the shoreline. Cool water lapped up the sand and splashed over her boots as she stared into the distance. _'I should get back to the castle.' _But, even as Reixka thought this, her body didn't move a muscle.

* * *

**A/N: So Rei finally got to 'meet' her somebody. Interesting, hm? If you read Two-sided heart, you'll probably recognize those memory scenes, if only a tiny bit. They aren't in order by any means. In fact, the first thing Rei saw was a newer memory of Stefa and the last one she saw was one of the oldest.**

**This chapter was purposely short, by the way. ;D See you next chapter!**


	6. Orders

**A/N: Okay, this is longer than last chapter, I promise. :D What is to become of poor Reixka and Stefa? Let's find out. **

**Disclaimer-I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but I **_**do**_** own a Kairi figure from Kingdom Hearts i, so I... er... win...? I also don't own Aladdin, but I do own a certain someone in that section.**

* * *

A week had passed since Reixka's special dream where she 'met' Stefa, and she had already decided to except that it really had been _nothing_ more than a dream. Contrary to her somebody's belief, no one in Organization XIII mentioned anything about holding her down and extracting a heart. Still, none of this explained why she could feel a thud in her chest sometimes and why she felt strongly about things other times; it just felt creepy.

Reixka had slowly adjusted to Larxene's presence, and, seeing as how there were no other females in the Organization, she found herself talking to the blonde quite a bit. She was surprised to learn that Larxene was intelligent and cunning and would often find her curled up with a book in the library of the castle. In the beginning, Larxene had been annoyed when Rei disturbed her, but she slowly adjusted. One odd day, she had a very curious conversation with the Nymph.

"'Morning," greeted Larxene from her spot at the kitchen table as Reixka entered the room as she sipped at whatever was in her mug. Reixka inclined her head in greeting, for she still was not quite awake. After she poured herself a cup of tea, the hot liquid did wonder for her throat, allowing her to speak. "What are you doing up so early?" She set the mug onto the table, and Reixka took in its appearance; it was a baby blue color with a single lightning bolt.

Reixka mumbled, "I couldn't sleep; I'm tired of these weird dreams." Since the two of them had first begun to bond, she had described the strange dreams to Larxene.

After a half a second, Larxene said, "It might be about time that you hear this from someone." She rolled her eyes, "For whatever reason, no one else, not even the Superior, wants you to know."

This caught Reixka's interest. "What are you talking about?"

"Your Somebody was a special Somebody; _oh, yes_," she added in a way that made Reixka assume Larxene and Stefa had met. "When she lost her heart, it didn't go to another Heartless and she didn't even become a Heartless. Instead, her heart went to you."

"_Really_?" She asked, incredulous as she remembered the dream with Stefa. "You're not lying?"

Larxene shook her head, smiling. "Why would I do a thing like that?" Nobodies couldn't feel emotions, but they could pretend like they did. They could laugh and they could smile, but it was always without feel; for most of them, at least.

"Hey, Larxene," a voice called from the doorway of the kitchen as a male with silver and black entered the room and took the seat across from the woman in question. He looked very... harassed.

"What's your problem?" asked Larxene, quirking an eyebrow before she took another sip from her mug.

"Let's switch friends. I'll take Reixka for a while and you can keep Marluxia and Demyx forever." A giggle escaped Reixka's mouth and the corners of Larxene's mouth turned upward in a small smile.

Larxene, rolling her eyes, scooted her chair backwards as she stood. "What are they doing this time?"

"They're fighting over something or another upstairs," he paused, the corner of his mouth turning up a little, "but I do seem to recall them heading into your room and going through your dresser..."

"_What?_" Her calm composure completely shattered. "Those little...!" Fuming and muttering under her breath, the _Savage_ Nymph summoned a portal and disappeared through it.

Reixka let out a low whistle. "Those two are gonna get their asses kicked."

At her words, Zexion quirked an eyebrow, the smile on his face becoming more prominent, "Whatever gave you the idea that I was telling the truth? Although it might help that I opened her drawers and made a little bit of a mess out of her room," he added in afterthought. Reixka burst into laughter and even Zexion chuckled a little.

**XxxxxX**

Sora, Roxas, Riku, Kairi, and Naminé decided that the previous day in the Radiant Garden was their last. After a quick goodbye to everyone there, they beamed up to the Gummi Ship and set off for a new world. "Obviously, we're not going to get any leads there, and at least we're a little bit stronger by now," stated Kairi from where she was hanging over the back of Sora's chair as he steered.

Without looking away from the purple meteors he was blasting out of their path, he asked, "So where are we heading to now?"

"Agrabah," came Sora's simple reply; Roxas look bewildered.

"Why Agrabah?" Naminé inquired, also a little bit confused.

"Paine said that most of the worlds have been invaded by Nobodies, and seeing as how we have to wait for the Organization to come to us..." Sora trailed off expectantly.

No one got the chance to argue because, in the contemplating ten minutes that followed, they had landed in Agrabah. "It'll be nice to see how everyone is after two years," decided Kairi, smiling. Hopefully, their visit would be significantly more pleasant than last time.

To save time, Sora beamed them down right before the castle gates, causing the two guards to jump, "You punks again." The one on the left grunted; it was amazing how the guards hadn't seemed to age in the two years since they had last visited.

"Are we actually allowed in this time?" snorted Naminé, uncharacteristically, under her breath.

"Yes, you are, actually." The guard on the right said, stepping to the side; his fellow mimicked his actions.

Roxas rubbed the back of his head. "Uh... thanks." Sora entered the castle first, closely followed by Kairi. Then, Roxas with Naminé holding onto his hand, and Riku entered last. They were immediately greeted by the large tiger, Rajah, who purred in acknowledgment and rubbed his head against Kairi's legs. Giggling, she bent over somewhat to stroke his head.

"I thought I heard someone come in," remarked the voice of a male as he entered through one of the palace's various doors. Perched on his shoulder was a small monkey, who was chattering excitedly.

Sora grinned. "Aladdin." The man chuckled and strode forward to shake hands with the Keyblade Master. "It's nice to see you again."

"You, too, Sora, Kairi, Naminé, Riku," he paused as his eyes fell upon Roxas. "And who is this?"

"I'm Roxas." He held out his hand, which Al gladly shook.

"I've heard about you. Sora's Nobody, right?"

"Where's Jasmine?" asked Kairi, eager to see her fellow princess again.

Aladdin scratched the back of his head. "Uh, upstairs, and I should probably tell you guys something... You see, Jasmine and I... We kind of..." The door that Aladdin had come through creaked open as said princess joined them, holding a bundle in her arms.

"I can't believe it," she said with true belief. Her appearance did not really seem to have changed much; she still wore the same turquoise outfit. "You're all back? We were thinking that you never would return!" For a minute, it looked like she wanted to run forward, but, instead, walked the distance and stopped beside her husband.

Naminé smiled. "Jasmine, we were just talking about you." Jasmine shot a question glance at the boy whose hand she was holding.

"Roxas," he introduced himself with a small bow.

"Don't bow." Jasmine said with a smile, "It's nice to meet you, Roxas."

Suddenly, Kairi's eyes widened in realization. "Jasmine, is that your _baby_?" She whispered incredulously. Sure enough, the bundle within the blankets had begun to stir.

Jasmine turned to face her husband with an angry expression. "You didn't tell them about the baby?" She asked, staring at him like he had no sense at all.

"What's his name? How old?" Kairi and Naminé cooed as they walked over to her. Jasmine turned back toward them, holding the baby out to Kairi.

Jasmine replied, "Hashim is his name; he's a couple of months old."

Kairi gingerly took the infant into her arms as she and her other cooed. "Ooh, he's so cute."

**XxxxxX**

Larxene had beaten up Marluxia, Demyx, _and_ Zexion after finding out what had happened. No one escapes the wrath of a woman or, at least, that's what Xigbar had told her. Reixka had been standing by as Saïx begun to tell Larxene that if she insisted on beating up all of the members, she would have to... Actually, he couldn't figure out _what_ she would have to do, so he left behind a very smug Larxene. As the minutes passed, Reixka couldn't help but feel very anxious, and she bet it had to do with the heart inside of her.

_'I bet you're so very happy lapping it up inside of there, but at least I get to do things,'_ she thought darkly. Lately, she had been thinking dark thoughts and remarks toward her Somebody. It was odd, Reixka was also feeling some unexplained malice toward Quince and the silver-haired boy. Nothing was making sense anymore.

She slowly dragged her feet down one of the many long white hallways. At the end of this particular one was their meeting room. She usually hated meetings, but, today, she was sort of excited. Today, everyone would be assigned worlds. When she stopped at the door, she laughed, remembering that she could use portals. _'Whoops.' _When she pushed the door open, she found mostly everyone there, with the exception of Demyx; go figure. Reixka walked down the row of chairs and found her own; it was right beside Larxene.

Larxene still appeared a little miffed, but seemed to have calmed down greatly. As soon as Reixka took her seat, Demyx appeared in a portal behind his own and quietly sat, scratches covering his face. "Now that we're all finally here," began Xemnas in a booming voice from where he stood at the head of the table; his gaze fell upon the Nymph and Reixka, and both averted their eyes. He surveyed the rest of his group. "I'll assign everyone to the world they are going to be stationed at."

_' 'Stationed,' ' _Reixka thought as she stared down at the marble table. _'It sounds like we're at war.'_ She was torn from her thought when Larxene elbowed her in the gut. "Ouch!" She hissed, rubbing her stomach.

"Number Fourteen, you'll be going to Halloween Town. Set off immediately," he ordered, and she immediately stood and, with a nod at Larxene, disappeared into her portal.

**XxxxxX**

Once Naminé and Kairi stopped their fussing over the baby, Jasmine took him upstairs for a nap. Meanwhile, everyone else made their way into the courtyard to talk. "There's absolutely no trouble here?" Roxas asked for what had to be the fifteenth time.

Aladdin chuckled. "I haven't seen anything aside from the neighborhood Heartless, and that isn't preventable since there is darkness in everyone's heart."

"Especially the merchants here," stated Sora with a grin; Kairi elbowed him in the shoulder.

"So, you're searching for the other princess again?" inquired Aladdin. The last time they had visited, he remembered, it had been to make sure Jasmine was safe as well as to find out Stefa's whereabouts. At least Jasmine was safe this time around.

Kairi shook her head, "Not exactly. She already lost her heart to a Heartless, so it's too late for that. We're looking for her Nobody now." Biting her lip, she explained, "Stefa didn't leave a Heartless, so it might be even more difficult to save her heart."

Naminé nodded her agreement as she pressed her hands together. "It's our best bet."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Aladdin, frowning. "Is there any way that I can help?"

Riku shook his head as he stared up at the bright sky. "We'll bring her back somehow. So many incredible things have happened since our first adventure, and I've finally learned that light shines anywhere, if you know where to look." The Prince couldn't help but smile. Last time that he had spoken with Sora, the boy had informed him that Riku was very pessimistic ever since escaping the darkness. Apparently, Riku had gone through a big change.

Rajah was at Jasmine's heels when she entered the courtyard. "He's sound asleep," she reported with a dazzling smile. Aladdin sighed in relief; it had been so long since they got any time for peace and quiet.

"Where's Genie hiding at these days?" Sora asked, expecting the genie was somewhere in Agrabah.

"He's traveling other worlds now." Aladdin reported, shaking his head, "First Iago and now Genie. I wonder if Abu and Carpet will be leaving me anytime soon." Abu chattered angrily and pulled on his friend's ear, causing the others to laugh.

"I overheard you," Jasmine said to the group while she stroked Rajah's head, "Will you be leaving soon?" The others exchanged looks before shaking their heads.

"We've got time to spare," assured Roxas.

**XxxxxX**

Reixka stepped out of the portal and glanced around at the odd world she had stepped in. A full moon was shining quite brightly in the sky and, looming just before her, was a curly hill. "Curious." She noted as she walked in the opposition direction, toward the town. "'Release Nobodies and Heartless when you arrive; each and every one shall obey you.'" She repeated the Superior's words before snapping, summoning a handful of Dusks and Heartless. The Heartless stared around for a minute while the Nobodies, who knew what to do right away, crawled toward the town.

"Attack the town and anyone you see fit unless it is one of our own. Some of you have been here before, I'm sure. Now, go," she ordered in a cold voice that was as familiar to her as air. Wight Knights, Shadows, Gargoyles, Darkballs, and a few other types trooped toward the town after the Nobodies.


	7. Dark and Dreary Days

**A/N: **6.15.11**: I've gotten notes on this in the past, so I'd like to clear the air. As I've mentioned, the Nightmare Before Christmas is my **_**favorite **_**Disney movie. Now, you'll see below that I poke fun at Jack's character a lot. This is for the sake of comic relief as well as the fact that he's sort of portrayed like a moron in the KH series. Again, I love that movie, and I love Jack; it's all in good fun.**

Old: **If any of you are wondering about the mysterious lack of Elie, don't. ;D She'll be back soon enough. I know this chapter came fast, and it is rather... small, but I promisepromisepromise that the next chapter will be long and very entertaining. Trust me, 'kay?**

**Disclaimer-Still don't own Kingdom Hearts or Aladdin or a certain favorite Disney movie of mine that is also featured.**

* * *

The few hours that were spent in Agrabah flew by very peacefully. Naminé and Kairi were ecstatic in helping Jasmine with the baby, leaving the men to go into the city and chat. Aladdin decided to have them go into more detail about their lives, so they did. When Sora and Riku weren't speaking, both were thinking the same thing: how much their lives had changed and how different they were. Both of them knew the truth about the world now, so they could no longer live in a fantasy world; not that it mattered as their innocence, and ability to daydream, had been torn from them at such a young age.

By this age, they would have had to give up their fantasies, anyway. When the sun began to set, they returned to the palace and found the girls in the courtyard. Kairi was lying on the ground, petting and playing with Rajah, nearby Jasmin was sitting and bouncing Hashim on her knees, while Naminé sat on the edge of the fountain and sketched them.

"Hope we didn't ruin your fun," said Sora, arms resting behind his head as he grinned.

Kairi frowned, and sat up, causing Rajah to roll onto his side. "Aw, is it time to go already?" Jasmine got to her feet with the help of her husband while Naminé tucked her drawings and things into a messenger bag from home.

Roxas quickly joined her so that he could admire her artwork. "It's great, Nam." Smiling, she placed a kiss on his lips. Riku, likely having his fill of all of the happy couples around him, headed for the green docking point in the corner of the courtyard with the others on his heels. When they reached it, they all turned around.

"Thanks a lot for the company, guys," said Sora.

Kairi nodded. "It was so nice to be back."

"Oh, do you really have to leave now?" Jasmine asked in a pleading voice. The group nodded their heads sadly.

Aladdin put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "They'll be back soon enough," he said, looking up. "They always are." Roxas and Sora grinned and, now that Aladdin thought of it, the two of them really _did_ look alike.

"We'll be back," reassured Naminé as she and Kairi strode forward to shake baby Hashim's hands goodbye.

"Be good for mommy," said Kairi in a sweet voice to the baby who babbled and laughed.

Riku waved. "Take care."

"I hope you find your friend soon." Jasmine smiled. "Stay with your friends and you cannot go wrong." And with that, the keyblade wielders pulled back and were transported to the gummi ship.

**XxX**

Quite soon after that, the group found themselves costumed and standing in Guillotine Gate. Sora was donning the same costume as ever, but everyone else's was new and different as they had never been there. Kairi was wearing a short, sleeveless, purple witch's dress with frayed collars, black and white-striped arm warmers, black and white knee-high stockings coupled with black boots, with a buckle around her waist and one around her wrist. Her hair was straighter, part of it covering her right eye, and a black witch's hat sat atop her head.

The top part of Riku's face was, like Sora's, covered in black so that the only thing you could see was his piercing sea-foam eyes. He had a short demon wing hanging off his left shoulder while his hands were covered by black gloves. He wore a sleeveless red shirt, dark blue pants with stitches running up them, and the studded black belt remained around his waist. When he smiled, two fangs were exposed.

Roxas wore a long-sleeved white shirt beneath a black cape with a silky red interior. His pants were similar to usual, only read, and he kept the same shoes. Like Riku and Sora, he also had vampire teeth. Naminé was wearing a long-sleeved, low cut witch's dress that ended above her knees. She was wearing black stockings that were only a little visible over knee-high black leather boots. A black ribbon was wrapped around her neck numerous times and, atop her head, she wore a fluffy witch's hat.

"You always said how cool Halloween Town was, Sora, but I just never believed you," admitted Kairi a bit sheepishly as she examined her outfit; Naminé seconded.

Riku, also pleased with his own outfit, looked around, but all he could see was the winding alley, "Where to first?"

Roxas answered before Sora had the opportunity, "To see Jack, of course."

"As Mayor of Halloween Town, I order you all to get out!" A loud voice ordered from somewhere a little farther away. The voice wasn't angry; its owner sounded like he was on the brink of tears. "Leave now! Jack, I need help with this, I'm just an elected official you know...!"

"The Mayor," mumbled Sora, Ultima Weapon appearing in a flash of light. "Let's go." The others mimicked his actions and followed him through the winding alley and beneath a gate that spilled out into the town.

It was not unusual for Sora to see the square filled with Heartless, but it was quite shocking to see the amount of Nobodies and Heartless currently crowding it. The fountain with green acid was a little broken, and the buildings and gates surrounding the square had obviously been beaten up on a few times too many. "Mayor!" Sora and Roxas cried in unison. Before the City Hall building, the Mayor turned to his right to see the group of teenagers.

"Sora!" The Mayor cried, ignoring all the rest. "Get rid of them, they're wrecking the town!" He jabbed his finger angrily at the fiends.

"Where's Jack?" asked Roxas as the others got into fighting stances.

In a desperate voice, the mayor responded, "I'm not sure; I haven't seen him since this morning!"

"Let's get rid of these guys first," suggested Naminé. The others nodded their agreements as they surged and, for a while, all that could be heard was the clashing of keyblades and occasional parry from a Heartless or Nobody. As each fiend was defeated, a cloud of darkness would temporary blind the warrior that had finished it off. After a good seven minutes, the square was emptied.

"Thank you, thank you!" cried the Mayor through his megaphone, the distraught, white face replaced by his normal one. "Now, go find Jack! I believe Sally is in Dr. Finklestein's lab."

"Are there more?" Riku asked with a mixture of surprise and disgust.

"There might be," the Mayor replied, now much calmer with the absence of Heartless and Nobodies. "I saw someone in a black cloak. When I tried to get their attention, they summoned those _things_ and ran off."

"Organization XIII," the group sighed as one. "We should have thought as much," added Sora in a sour voice as he turned toward the others. "Let's go see if Sally knows where Jack is." Sora led the way across the square, ducked around the iron fence, and went up the steps that led to the lab. The lab was not as big as the others had imagined it to be and was also quite dark..

Three little children were gathered around an old man sitting in a wheel chair, one in a devil costume, another in a skeleton one, and the final in a witch's outfit; the four of them were reading from a large book. _'Not another experiment,' _sighed Roxas and, sensing his thoughts, Sora nodded in agreement.

Sora approached the four, who had not looked up at their entracne. "What are you experimenting on now, Doctor...?" The children turned around with devious smiles, and the doctor wheeled around, a look of pure agitation clear on his face.

"You'll find out when I finish," he snapped before turning back to his precious book.

The witch told them, "We're helping the doctor." Her look of pure evil unnerved the wielders.

"You've been behaving, haven't you?" demanded Roxas.

The devil waved a hand, clearly irked. "We have to since Jack's constantly watching us."

"Sora!" A woman's voice called from behind them. Standing in the doorway was a tall rag doll with long red hair and a patched up dress. She cast a nervous glance at Lock, Shock, and Barrel reading the spell book before returning her attention to Sora and the others.

Sora smiled, pleased to see someone he actually liked. "Sally." He followed her gaze at the others. "That's Roxas. He knows you because the last time that I was here, he was a part of me; he's my Nobody. Naminé is Kairi's Nobody, and the girlfriend of Roxas. Kairi is a Princess of heart and _my_ girlfriend. Last but not least, this is my best friend, Riku; they're all keyblade wielders."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Sally said, smiling softly, "Especially you, Kairi, Riku. Sora spoke most highly of both of you." Kairi blushed and shuffled her feet while Riku grinned. "You must be here because of the Heartless and those strange white creatures..."

"That's what the weaker Nobodies look like," informed Roxas.

Sally nodded knowingly, "So those are what other Nobodies look like. There's also someone wandering Halloween Town in a black cloak."

"And _that's_ a member of Organization XIII." Naminé stated bleakly.

"Where is Jack?" wondered Kairi. "We'll need all the help that we can get."

Sally became thoughtful for a minute. "I think he said something about checking up on Mr. Sandy Claws." She told them. "He set off a while ago, though, and I'm worried."

"Don't worry, Sally, we're on it." Sora replied with ease, his arms casually placed behind his head. "What's that on your finger?" Noticeably, there was something white around one of the rag doll's fingers; if possible, Sally's cheeks flushed somewhat.

"Jack and I are engaged." She announced, holding out her hand. Since Halloween Town wasn't exactly equivalent to a normal world like Christmas Town, instead of a ring, Sally appeared to be wearing some type of a small bone; Sora hoped that Jack had not broken off part of his finger to propose.

Grinning, Sora remarked, "I was wondering when the two of you would get around to that." Sally flushed darker.

"Sora! Stop embarrassing her!" Kairi ordered, grabbing his arm. "Let's go find Jack." She charged forward, determined, then stopped when she realized she had no idea where she was going.

"Alright, alright." Sora agreed, heading for the doors.

Sally cast a nervous look at the lab. "Oh! I'll come with you."

**XxX**

"What use would I have with Santa Claus?" mumbled Reixka to herself. Her hood was still pulled over her head as she trudged through the thick snow. "I could see if I'm on the Naughty or Nice list," she added with a smirk. With every step she took, the snow crunched and her foot would sink. Dusks danced around her in a circle as Shadows slid noiselessly through the snow, appearing to be moving ink blots. She finally passed a merry-go-round and entered the door of a large house. "Well, Xemnas did say that it was one way to gain control of this world. I'm presuming he'll want me to watch him." When she went down the hallway and made to turn a corner, a small elf stood in her way.

"Your kind is not welcome here!" He barked. For such a small guy, he certainly was very brave.

"_My_ kind?" she demanded, a cold smile turning up the corners of her lips. Behind her, she could hear the anger of the Dusks. "You may want to rephrase that, I think you hurt my companions' feelings." The Shadows, still in two-dimensional form, slid across the floor and entered the room. The elf put on a brave face as Dusks sprang at him.

Upstairs in the toy factory were several more elves, a large man with a white beard and red suit, and a tall skeleton dressed in a black pin-striped suit and a bat bow-tie. "Jack, there is _nothing_ going on in Christmas Town." Santa Claus huffed at Jack Skellington, who had way overstayed his welcome.

"Mr. Sandy Claws, sir-"

"That's _Santa Claus_!"

"Yes, Mr. Sandy Claus, but you see..." Santa sighed in defeat as Jack paused to listen to something below; there was the sound of crashes and a short scream, then all was quiet again.

"If it's those three naughty children again, I'm giving them a good spanking," murmured Santa in a gruff voice as he exited the room with Jack hot on his heels. After walking down the first slope, though, the both of them stopped. Standing before them was a person dressed in a black cloak, "A friend of yours, Jack?" Santa asked, surveying their mysterious guest.

Jack shook his head, "No one that I have ever seen before." As he said these words, Reixka dipped in a low bow.

"Mr. Santa Claus, _sir_, it is such an honor to meet you."

Santa's face softened at such politeness. "Ah, I bet you want to know if you are on the naughty or nice list. Well, if you'll just come with me..."

"Oh, no," she replied, a cold smile decorating her expression once more. Reixka shook off her hood, pulling an extremely long braid out of her coat. "Actually, I'm here for you."

"Excuse me?" he asked as the cherry blossom keyblade flashed into her hand. "Are you a friend of Sora's?" he asked, this time hoping her answer was positive.

"Sora?" She repeated, feigning thoughtfulness, "Never heard of him." Her stance told Jack all he needed to know, and a blast of fire sent Reixka flying backward. She snapped and pointed forward; the Dusks and Shadows sprang into the room and headed for Jack and Santa while Reixka attempted to get her head on straight. "You've picked the wrong girl to mess with."

**XxX**

Back in Halloween Town, Sora, Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Kairi, and Sally had just reached the Hinterlands. All but Sora, Roxas, and Sally looked about with mild curiosity as they headed for a tree straight ahead, a tree with a small christmas tree-shaped door on it. To the left was a tree with a turkey and to its right was a tree with a scary-looking pumpkin. "That door would lead right back here, wouldn't it, Sally?" wondered Roxas as he surveyed the tree with interest.

The rag doll nodded her head. "It probably would if it could open." Upon examining it closer, Roxas realized there was no door handle on it.

"All of these doors lead to different holiday towns?" asked Riku as he examined a tree with an Easter egg door.

"Yeah," answered Sora as he pulled on Christmas Town's doorknob. "But we've only been to Christmas Town, and, of course, Halloween Town."

Naminé stood beside Riku, staring at the door with excitement. "Can we got to Easter Town?"

Roxas chuckled and kissed her hair. "Maybe later, Nam."

"It's weird that we haven't seen any Heartless or Nobodies since we first got here," noted Kairi with suspicion as a cold wind blew from out of the Christmas door.

"Very," agreed Riku as everyone stood behind Sora and Kairi.

"Kai, you wanna go first?"

She shook her head vigorously, "You first." Sora shrugged his shoulders before jumping inside. He fell downward before a light transported him to another world. Kairi stared into the depths with fear and Naminé joined her. They exchanged looks of understanding and held hands before Kairi jumped in first, towing Naminé behind. Roxas, Riku, and Sally followed them immediately and they were all transported to Christmas Town.

Kairi and Naminé were hurled out of the tree and landed into the cold snow. Sora held out his hands to help them up before the others appeared, and they shivered at the cold. "You'll adjust," he reassured them. Sally landed gracefully on her feet, but the two boys were launched face-first into the snow. The others chuckled as the two of them managed to crawl to their feet and dust the snow off.

After ten minutes of crawling through the snow-blown town, the wielders and Sally wound up at Santa Claus's house. The door was wide open, blowing snow inside. They exchanged nervous glances before entering. In the corner of Santa's room, an elf was lying fast first, appearing to be unconscious. More nervousness filled them as they stepped into the workshop.

Sally ran forward when they spotted Jack laying on the ramp leading to the present-making factory. "Jack!" She cried breathlessly as she knelt beside him and lifted up his head.

"Jack, what happened to you?" Sora asked as they followed after Sally.

Jack adjusted himself and slowly sat up, "Sora, how nice to see you again."

"What happened, Jack?" demanded Sally.

The skeleton needed no more prompting. "A girl wearing a black cloak kidnapped Mr. Sandy Claw. I fought her, of course, but I'm afraid that she was not all that weak..."

"What did she look like?" inquired Naminé, her stomach lurching at the answer.

"Brown hair with silver streaks; it was very long and tied in a braid." He told them. Sora, Roxas, Riku, Kairi, and Naminé exchanged looks. "What? Do you know her?"

"Kind of," admitted Roxas.

Riku, however, was extremely excited. "Where did she go?"

"She disappeared into a black portal." He said, looking a little confused at Sora's group. "Goofy and Donald look a lot different now, Sora, but who are the other two?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "I guess we've got a lot of introducing to do, but, first, do you have any idea where she would have taken Sandy, uh, I mean, Santa Claus?"

Sally turned to face him. "I don't think that she went to a different world with him, but I have a bad feeling that something bad will happen if we don't find them soon."

**XxX**

"Whatever am I to do with you, old boy?" mumbled Reixka from where she sat on the remainders of a particularly large roof. Her heart was pounding, but it was not out of anxiety; it was more like it was trying to say something important was near. On the ground, a foot or so below her, was Santa Claus with his arms and legs tied by some very intricate darkness. Although she had made her keyblade disappear after winning the fight with Jack Skellington, once she had gotten to this place (which appeared to be the ruins of some building), it continued to reappear, so she had finally given up on calling it off.

In the time that she had been sitting here, waiting for an idea to come to mind, flashbacks kept coming instead. Not hers, of course, but Stefa's, and it was starting to seriously annoy her. It was worth it, she decided, if she could feel. At the same time, that could be a burden, too, like now with her heart hammering against her chest.

"You'll never get away with this!" Santa Claus shouted, knocking her out of her reverie.

Smugly, she replied, "I think you'll find I _can_." After capturing Santa, the first thing she did was summon many Heartless and Nobodies to hold off anyone in search of him while she came up with a plan. Reixka jumped off of the rotting piece of roof and began to pace around the old man. She knelt down and stroked his face, her eyes sparkling with malice. "What can we do for fun until I know what to do with you...?" Of course, she would never waste her time with Santa Claus, but it would be fun to see his reaction.

Santa immediately stiffened, "Evil child!"

Reixka smirked and released him as she turned to face the cliff wall. "I think I know one way to put this world under my power..." She muttered before turning to face the old man again, this time with a very dark look. "All I have to do is kill you to take control of Christmas Town and then kill Jack Skellington to take care of Halloween Town." The moonlight reflected off of the keyblade. "Ah, and I already have my weapon, too... Well, this is just too perfect." Reixka took one step forward to see how Santa would react, then two more.

Somewhere beyond the fence in the distance, a portal was summoned as a dark figure disappeared into it.

**XxxxxX**

The portal appeared in the meeting room in Castle Oblivion as Saïx stepped out before his Superior, who was still sitting at the table. "I've just returned from watching her." He quietly told Xemnas. **(A/N: /End stalkerish Saïx xD)**

"And? What is your current report?" His voice was mostly indifferent with only a stroke of interest.

Saïx smirked. "They're on their way to rescue the fat one." Xemnas did not question who 'we' was. "She's already planned to kill him and the skeleton."

Xemnas inclined his head, a faint smirk appearing on it. "Retrieve the others and bring them back here. Then, we will go to that wretched Halloween Town and reclaim our hearts. It's only a matter of time before Riku gets to her and calls the princess back from the darkness."

"Do you really think he knows what to do?"

"If he doesn't," replied Xemnas, "His _heart_ will guide him to the answer." The two chuckled, a sound that would freeze the blood in anyone's veins.

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, will Sora and company arrive in time to save Santa Claus from a terrible fate? Or will going there lead to Jack's death? Will Riku actually be able to call Stefa back from the darkness and become her light or will all of their plans crash and burn? Find out the fate of Halloween Town in the next chapter:D**


	8. Wake the Dead

**A/N:**6.15.11: **Added in the name of Reixka's keyblade... because it's annoying to see "Reixka's keyblade" repeated over and over again.**

Old: **Thank you fanfiction for having maintenance. ' Anyway, this would have probably been up sooner had it not been for that and had it not been for the... erm... rough times that have been happening around here. But that's alright because half of it is over, and the other half probably won't end for a good long while, so there's nothing to worry about. :D**

**Here's a key for this chapter:**

_**'A nobody's thoughts.'**_

_'A somebody's thoughts.'_

**Disclaimer-I do not not not not not own Kingdom Hearts or Nightmare Before Christmas, even though I've wanted it for my own since I was like one.  
**

* * *

"What could Organization XIII possibly want with Santa Claus?" wondered Riku as Sora led the way through the graveyard, and stopped at the gate with the curly hill beyond it. The gate was locked when Sora attempted to push it open, and his response was to shake it angrily. Jack put a calming hand on Sora's shoulder as he pulled a bat key out of one of his pockets, and unlocked the gate once the Keyblade Master moved.

"Heh." Sora rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner as Kairi gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. They followed Jack and Sally toward the hill; it was the only place they expected to find Santa and Reixka, and it was empty.

After they searched the entire area, Roxas sighed, "Now how are we going to find them?"

"There's still one more place left," stated Sally.

Sora thought for a minute before nodding his agreement. "The ruins of Oogie's Manor, you mean? Why would she go there?"

"Why would she come here?" replied Sally, smiling grimly.

Kairi turned to face Jack. "How do we get across?"

Jack chuckled. "It's simple. Follow me!" He walked up the curly hill, and, as he walked, the hill began to uncurl, making a little bridge so that they could get over the stone wall. Everyone hastily followed, for fear of the bridge re-curling right after Jack got off. Luckily, they all made it across before it curled back up.

"Be careful," warned Sora as Jack and Sally crossed the bridge leading to the manor's ruins and disappeared from sight. Kairi glanced downward; the water was barely deep, but it _was_ a sewer, so she wasn't so sure that she wanted to fall in. She tightened her hold on Sora's hand as they crossed, but, when they were halfway, they were interrupted by three Dusks on either side of them. Keyblades materialized in flashes as the group was ambushed by Nobodies.

"This seems familiar," mused Roxas as Oblivion and Oathkeeper came to his aid.

**XxX**

"I thought you were going to kill me." Santa Claus demanded in a brave voice even as a trickle of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

"I am," replied Reixka as she held Sakura Dawning upright in order to get moonlight to properly reflect off of it. Though she would not admit it, she knew she was trying to waste time.

Santa seemed to sense this, at least in part, as he pleaded, "Killing is not as easy as the innocent seem to think. You don't have to do this."

Reixka laughed, turning her head slightly so that she was facing him. "You think I'm innocent?" She asked, shaking her head while she wore a cold smile. "I am a _Nobody_." Although she had hoped this would explain things to him, it only sent the old man down a different road.

"I'm sure that's not true. There are probably plenty of people who care about you."

Reixka rolled her eyes, dropping her keyblade-wielding arm. "No, I really _am_ a Nobody; the shell left behind by someone who has lost their heart. Essentially, that means I have no feelings, which means that I don't care much about your blood being spilled." _'This stupid heart does, though.' _

Santa seemed to stiffen at the thought of a being with no heart, and, essentially, no conscience. "Does it scare you?" she murmured, only, this time, she looked sad. She was looking toward the cliff wall again. _'Nobodies are unknown and unliked. That is just how it is,'_ a voice that was not her own reminded her.

When a voice from above shouted, she started out of her depressing thoughts, "You, there!" Reixka and Santa both looked up at the skeleton man and rag doll standing on the remains of a bridge. "Unhand Mr. Sandy Claws right now and the consequences will not be as dire."

Reixka shook her head and sighed. At the snap of her fingers, Assassins, Wight Nights, Gargoyles, and Sorcerers appeared. "Spare me."

Jack angrily strode forward, and, forgetting that Oogie's manor was no more, fell several feet downward. Sally gasped, but he easily landed on his own two feet. "You asked for it." He ran forward, the Nobodies and Heartless flocking to meet him.

**XxX**

"That was annoying," grumbled Naminé. She and Kairi were sitting beneath the bridge, murky water coming up their stomachs with wet hair and bangs plastered to their forehead. Kairi recalled Radiant Destiny as she grasped the bank and attempted to stand up, which wasn't too hard because the water flow wasn't strong. She turned and lent a hand to Naminé.

"Stupid heartless," growled Kairi as the two of them returned to the bridge. Unsurprisingly enough, Riku, Sora, and Roxas had finished off the last of the enemies.

"I told you to be careful," reminded Sora as he rubbed the back of his head; it was obvious that they were trying not to laugh at the girls' appearances.

"Oh, ha, ha. Very funny," murmured Kairi as she and Naminé crossed the bridge and disappeared into the distance without a second glance. In her fiery hot fury, the seventh princess ceased to notice her surroundings, and was surprised when she felt nothing but air below her feet. She finally took in everything and realized that the bridge was broken. Her body plunged downward a split second after her realization, so that she didn't even get the chance to scream.

Naminé quickly reached over to grasp one of her hands. "Kairi!" Kairi sighed with relief; she wasn't going to die. But, even Naminé wasn't _that_ strong. Her footing began to slip, and she was quite lucky when Sally grabbed a hold of her left arm. Still, the two of them were not strong enough to hold on, not that it mattered.

As Sora, Riku, and Roxas joined them on the remains of the old bridge, it refused to hold any longer and began to crumble beneath them. "We're going to die!" Kairi heard herself cry as she was pulled onto a small chunk of rock.

"No, we're not!" Naminé's voice was just as shaky with fear, but it still held an edge of confidence. Still holding Kairi's hand, she used her free one and put it to what was left of the ground, instantly summoning a portal. Naminé assumed they had seconds before they'd hit the ground. "Go on, trust yourself," she told Kairi, who crawled in first with her other in hot pursuit.

Roxas sighed with relief as he, Sora, Riku, and Sally began to delicately glid toward the ground. "Good thing that you remembered to bring Tink's fairy dust with you, Sora." Sure enough, when they had begun to plunge downward, Sora had taken out a leather pouch with golden fairy dust.

"Quick thinking," agreed Riku.

They landed in time to see Jack destroy two assassins in his path, so that only the Organization girl was left, "Very good." She said, clapping her hands together; Riku recoiled at her cold voice.

"How could she be the Nobody of Stefa?" he mumbled.

Roxas shook his head. "She's trying to put up a front, Riku."

Sora looked around. "Where are Kairi and Naminé?" Riku and Roxas also searched when, but a few seconds later, the two girls walked out of a portal on a rock. "Sally, while she's distracted, could you free Santa?" The rag doll nodded and hurried off to do so.

"Should we help him fight?" Kairi asked when she and Naminé joined them, glancing at Jack.

Riku nodded. "It might be a good idea to weaken her before we try to get Stefa back."

"How are we going to do that one, by the way?" wondered Roxas.

"Don't worry," said Naminé with a smile, "Riku will know what to do." Riku stared at her dumbly for a minute before they rushed in to help Jack fight. He cast a blizzard spell and then fire, but it only seemed to anger the Nobody.

"Hey, Jack, we thought you might need some help." Sora called from behind the skeleton.

"It's good of you to offer." Jack replied with a smile as he swiped at Reixka, who barely managed a good dodge.

"Ah, Keyblade Master, what a _pleasure_!" Reixka lashed back at Jack with Sakura Dawning; Riku blocked the blow with Way to Dawn, pushing her keyblade to her side. At once, her heart did a strange flutter, and she cursed it as she fell backwards. "So, you're him."

"Who?" asked Riku, holding Way to the Dawn in an offensive manner.

Reixka smirked. "You're the one that she likes. Riku, is it?" She added before lunging at his legs with Sakura Dawning, but Riku, anticipating some sort of attack, immediately jumped back. "I'm her shell, you know; I have her memories. She went on about not trusting the Organization and getting completely claimed by the darkness. I wonder how terrible that makes you feel? You _did_ let that Heartless take her heart, after all."

Reixka's emotional attack on Riku had succeeded; he stared at her blankly, his weapon arm dropping to his side. "Watera," Naminé muttered under her breath, aiming her spell at the Nobody; the spell was strong enough to knock Reixka onto her side.

She aimed a glare in the blonde's direction and jumped to her feet. "Naminé, the weak pushover; Larxene and Marluxia told me that if I were to see you that I should see if I could make you grovel. You know, once I beat you," she proclaimed arrogantly. Instead of making the blonde somber as she had expected, Naminé ran forward with Chain of Memories raised. _'That's... unexpected,_' thought Reixka as a familiar voice countered, _**'Not really. It's been a while since those two have seen Naminé; she isn't so frail anymore.'**_ Reixka felt vaguely annoyed, knowing that Stefa was taking strength from seeing her old friends. _'Stop interrupting my thoughts.'_

"You'd be surprised," remarked Naminé in a growl as Chain of Memories slammed against Sakura Dawning.

Rexika pushed her keyblade harder against the other's. "That's some anger you have there... Trying not to give in to your heart's despair? Iwonder, since you were a Nobody when you realized Sora didn't want to remember you and it hurt back then... I wonder, what does it feel like now knowing that he didn't really remember you and you finally _have_ a heart to feel?" Naminé's grip on her Keyblade slacked a bit, and it was just enough for Reixka to be able to push her off. She pointed Sakura Dawning at Naminé's throat. "You're just as weak as they said." As she moved in for an attack, a beam of light knocked her away.

Reixka promptly regained her balance. "Jesus! You people make it impossible to fight, you know." Kairi was now standing before her with her Radiant Destiny. "I see, sticking up for your Nobody? How sweet."

"_Someone_ needs to control the malice in their heart," remarked Sora as he stood beside Kairi.

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "You can't really fight; you rely on your talk to win battles. That's despicable. We all have things we regret, but the best thing we can do is accept them and move on."

"That's some talk coming from you, Princess, when you've done nothing wrong in your entire life. That's how a pure-hearted one lives."

"Hah! Shows what you know!" replied Kairi, a wry grin on her face. Sora looked from her to the Nobody; he had never seen Kairi so angry before. "I regret quite a bit, actually. I regret not staying with Sora and helping him. I regret waiting for so long to come back for him. Hell, I even regret forgetting so much about him, even if I couldn't control that." A whimper from the sidelines told Kairi that she needed to tone it down a little. "But I can move on, anyway. You can only move on if you accept the past. You're not exactly Stefa's Nobody, are you? Not completely."

Reixka flashed a grin, "Pretty much, yeah. I have glimmers of Stefa's heart, but really, all I'm doing is containing it. It's always tough to get the pure side into a Nobody. But what are you going to do? Stefa's long gone; she isn't coming back."

"You're wrong," replied both Kairi and Naminé. "Her body may be gone, but her heart is still there. All she needs is some light to bring her back."

Reixka quirked an eyebrow at this. "Is that so? No amount of light can bring her back. Stop pretending!" She rushed at them with her keyblade again.

"Sure it can." Sora slashed at her with Ultima, "Riku just needs to call her back." Reixka fell back again and hit the ground hard. The heart within her was beating viciously, as if it knew what was coming.

"No!" shouted Reixka, angry tears filling her eyes. "I'm the Somebody now and _she's _the Nobody! She can't have these feelings or memories." Suddenly, it became clear to her as to why she was sent to Halloween Town. "They _knew_ you would all be here." Reixka realized, a little dumbfounded, glaring into Sora's eyes as she looked up at him.

"Your feelings and your memories... aren't yours," stated Roxas, who was holding Oathkeeper in his left hand and Naminé's hand with his right. It was difficult for a Nobody to accept that their existence was a lie, but, this time, he didn't really think this Nobody deserved an existence.

Riku had regained control some time ago, but now knew this was the moment. This was the time to call Stefa back from the darkness, but he didn't know how. He glanced around, feeling unsure for the first time in a while. "Riku," Kairi spoke clearly as she turned to face him. "Call out her name. Let your heart call hers and she'll come back... You are her light..." She smiled confidently at her best friend and, after he released a deep breath, he returned the smile.

_'Stefa... Stefa. Stefa!'_ "Stefa, come back to us!" He shouted, surprised as the words left his mouth. Reixka's heart was beating furiously, and then... she felt it flutter. She knew what was happening, but she didn't want it to. Even as her body was engulfed with the silvery light, she tried to fight it.

"No! But I...!" And then, she noticed them, several portals appearing very suddenly around the group. Had the Organization arrived to save her? But they simply watched as she felt the heart being torn from her and the memories flooding into a new body. She heard two loud thuds and knew that not only her body had hit the ground...

**XxxxxX**

"Good ol' Stefa," remarked a brunette girl with a smile. She was standing inside of a familiar cave, looking at pictures that had been drawn on the walls. It suddenly hit her, as she stood there, that her best friend was not lost to darkness forever like she almost had been. No, Stefa was alive and breathing fine in a different world, and she'd soon be returning here, the place where it all started for them. "It's too bad that Quince can't do the same."

**XxxxxX**

Reixka pulled herself into a sitting position as she glared at the figure before her, a girl in a long black robe down on all fours. She was staring at the ground, and, when she looked up, her pale eyes met Reixka's. The girl was helped to her feet by Sora, and, when she stood, Reixka examined her fully. The gothic slayer costume that the girl was wearing had very long sleeves with golden designs and rubies outlining the ends of the sleeves; the very bottom of it had the same design.

She was wearing black leather go-go boots and black and white stockings that were only visible when she kicked her legs out to stretch them. A blue leather necklace with a diamond was around her neck along with a black cross and black mirror necklace. By far, the most unusual thing about the girl was the fact that she had red and black streaks running throughout her blond hair.

And, yet, it was the one thing that told Reixka that she had lost. "Stefa," muttered Reixka as she scrambled to her feet. There was no comforting heartbeat and there was no emotion when she spoke. "I hope you didn't enjoy your few seconds alive again because I'm going to _kill_ you!" She growled, swinging Sakura Dawning, but her revenge was short-lived. Someone had seized her by the neck of her coat; a fellow Organization member. "Wha?" Reixka tried to look back at the person who had grabbed her.

"You're not allowed to kill her until we get our hearts," a male voice reminded her. He shook off his hood to reveal his strange haircut and blue eyes.

"Demyx..." Reixka whined in protest.

"Now then, will you cooperate, Princess?" Xemnas asked as he strode forward and unhooded himself.

Stefa stared around, trying to make sense of everything around her, particularly the large amount of Nobodies. "Cooperate? For...? Your hearts? Oh, _hell_, no." Her reply was raspy, speaking for the first time in a while. Xemnas shot Demyx a look, causing the musician to immediately release his younger friend. Again, Reixka lunged for her, like a vicious, senseless, attack dog. Instead of calling upon her own keyblade, Stefa kicked her Nobody in the shin. Hard.

The Organization, apart from Saïx and Reixka, disappeared into portals. Saïx shot Reixka a look. "Stop whining about that petty little pain that you should not even feel," he ordered. "Defeat her, and, if all else fails, you know what to do." With that, he disappeared into his own portal. Reixka nodded slowly, glaring at her counterpart.

"Let's see who's a better fighter, the original, or the _copy_," she spat her final words icily. Stefa looked around worriedly once she realized what was happening. She hadn't fought or _existed_ for at least a month, and, now, she was supposed to jump into gear? She barely had another second to spare before Reixka closed the distance between them and swung Sakura Dawning. A half a second too late, Stefa tried to flip backwards and was hit in the process.

She hit her back hard as she fell and stared up at the clear night sky. Reixka blotted out her vision as she placed a foot on her stomach and pushed down. Stefa winced at the pain and thought, for a minute, that she was a goner. "I guess the copy wins," decided Reixka, smiling with malice as she swung down. Another keyblade blocked the hit, and Stefa couldn't really recognize it at first. Then, she realized, the dragon design was unique.

"Elie?" exclaimed Stefa, sure her head was about to explode. Sure enough, standing over her was the brunette, still dressed in an Organization coat, but, otherwise, recognizable. Then, Stefa felt herself being pulled back and up by two sets of hand. Staring at her were the familiar, relieved faces of Naminé and Kairi; her right-hand women.

"Your Nobody sure is something, huh?" remarked Kairi, smiling.

"I am so happy right now that I could scream and jump, but I think I need to be filled in first. Where are we? And why is that rag doll guarding Santa Claus?" Stefa asked, staring at Sally and Santa at the sidelines.

Naminé and Kairi exchanged looks. "You tell her, Nam," decided Kairi, the smile still on her face as the three girls embraced. Naminé calmly began to explain as Elie, Sora, Riku, Roxas, and Jack fought against poor little Reixka.

Once the explanation was finished, Stefa belted out, "This is Halloween, this is Halloween. Pumpkins scream in the dead of night! This is Halloween, everybody make a scene!" Both girls fixed her with confused stares, obviously afraid that the time in the darkness had damaged her. Shrugging, she explained, "Sorry, I came up with it spur of the moment... It seemed like it fit."

"Oh, yeah, Stefa, that song _definitely _fits." Kairi said, her voice laced with sarcasm. **(A/N: I had to. x3)**

"Putting that aside, shouldn't we help them?" asked Naminé, glancing at the group of fighters; Kairi and Stefa both nodded their agreement. The three of them recalled their keyblades and joined the fray.

"Elie, thank you so much!" Stefa said as she slammed Shadow Heart onto Sakura Dawning, blocking the attempt on Roxas.

Elie grinned. "I'm just happy to see you again!"

"What is this, gang up on Reixka time?" whined the Nobody as she stumbled backwards.

"You kinda asked for it." Stefa pointed out before shaking her head. "I'll make you an offer." Shadow Heart disappeared, and she extended her right hand. "I told you that I can't give _you_ a heart, so, if you join me, you'll be complete again."

"Yeah, right," spat Reixka. "Look at Naminé and Roxas; obviously, they didn't like being one with their Somebodies."

Stefa fixed her with a hard stare. "I just gave them hearts, they didn't ask. But you already knew that."

"I'm not going to put myself in a position where I'll no longer be me."

"You'll never be you!" exclaimed Stefa. "You're not a regular Nobody; you're _my_ Nobody. You don't have an existence and you never will."

"Oh, yeah?" Reixka took a few steps back, resisting the urge to slam Stefa with her keyblade. "As it happens... I have the Organization; that's all I need." She closed her eyes and snapped; the ground began to shake. "I've failed, but not for long." Reixka summoned a portal and promptly disappeared, chest heaving, "Try to escape from this one."

"What?" Stefa muttered. Then, the shaking stopped.

"That was odd." Jack said, shaking his head and shrugging. "Well, fellas, Sally and I are going to head back to Christmas Town to bring Santa home. Meet up with us after you're finished with your... reunions." The skeleton waved before he, Sally, and Santa walked through the waterway in the distance, heading for the passage back to the square.

They watched Jack, Sally, and Santa go before turning back to Stefa. She could only grin dumbly. "I'm back." She muttered, staring at the ground shyly, and then looking up at Riku. Without really knowing what she was doing, she threw herself at him, wrapping her around his body. "I'm back." She repeated, like she didn't believe it.

Riku returned the embrace with haste. "I know, you've been missed." Stefa looked up at him, smiling softly.

Then, the ground shook again. Roxas seized Naminé and Elie to prevent them from falling and Sora quickly grabbed Kairi's hand. Had Riku not already had been holding Stefa, she probably would have fallen. "What _was_ that?" Elie asked as they looked around the area; it was utterly deserted.

The ground ahead of them began to crumble away, and they immediately retreated; something very large was rising from the ground. It was a particularly gigantic dragon with sharp teeth and huge white wings. It flapped its wings, sending everyone flying backwards. Imprinted on its back was a familiar sign; the symbol of a Nobody.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! More happiness for the gang. I wonder how they'll fair against this one... Really, I do. I haven't got any plans yet. x3 Please read and review, and I'll see everyone next time!**


	9. Speculation & Awakening 2

**A/N: **6.15.11: **It amuses me greatly that I never took credit as Elie being my OC... Anyway, crescent moon definitely assisted me in designing her, but, all in all, Elie -is- mine. I gave the awakening a bit of an overhaul; you'll see what I mean.**

Old: **I can promise you that this chapter will certainly be special, but a tad late. Late in the fact that this should have happened in the first story... What, you ask? You will soon see. Hehe, big props to my best friend, Kristi, and crescent moon. The two of them are my support for this story now. :P**

**Disclaimer-Don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

"How silly of me to think that I could get five minutes of peace after regaining my heart," mumbled Stefa unappreciatively as she fixed the thing before her with an anxious stare; she had seen many odd things since the storm night that changed her life, but this creature, this Nobody, took the cake.

Riku sighed, "I'm starting to wonder what our lives would be like had none of this ever happened."

"C-can we really t-take this th-thing?" Kairi asked, stuttering from the fear, her knuckles turning white from her grip on Radiant and Sora's hand.

"Sure we can, Kai," he assured her as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She believed him for about a minute, but, when he released his hand from hers, panic filled her completely. She stared at the dragon Nobody with a look of pure terror, and, as the others started forward, her unconscious body hit the ground with a large thud. Sora turned back around and gasped, "Kairi!"

He made to run to her side, but Naminé stood in his path. "I'll watch Kairi, you guys need to take care of that thing." He hesitated. "Sora, _trust me_. Please." Her tone was so desperate that he finally agreed.

Elie's usual hyper nature returned as she charged at the Nobody. "Let's get rid of it!" The boys agreed with ease and joined her, but Stefa swayed on the stop, quite sure she would be like Kairi in a few moments.

_'Of course fear comes to me now that I'm completely sure that this is real; of course.' _She thought, if not a little bitterly, as her stomach clenched. After a few deep breaths and tightening her grip on her familiar, soothing weapon, she joined the rest.

Elie, Sora, Riku, and Roxas were way ahead in the defeating process. It would have been quite comical to see the four of them on the dragon's back under any normal circumstances. Then again, why would the four of them even _be_ on a dragon under normal circumstance? Stefa wondered how they had so easily climbed up as she faced the silvery head with rows of jagged teeth bared. More fear rushed into her, if that was even possible.

"Don't stand in front of it!" She distantly heard Roxas shout at her, but, as she stared into the black eyes of the dragon, she found that she was rooted to the spot.

"Move, Stefa!" A soft voice called from behind her, but she still didn't listen.

"Graviga!" shouted Sora, raising Ultima. A dark purple bubble surrounded the Nobody's head and forced it to hit to ground, sending out a shockwave that caused Stefa to topple over.

_'Come on, stupid. You never choked the first time around.'_Stefa bit her lip, and, after a few more deep breaths, she ran forward and began to slash at the head. As it came to, she climbed up and prayed for dear life. She swayed a little as the dragon stood back up to its full height, but she managed to hang tough.

**XxxxxX**

Reixka gasped loudly as she used the wall of the hallway to support her. Her head was spinning, and she clung to the wall for dear life. "You don't look so good," she made out an annoying voice, Vexen's.

She managed to steady herself long enough to glare up at him and appear somewhat menacing. "Are you going to do an experiment on me?" she asked, Sakura Dawning flashing into her hand.

Vexen held up his hands in mock-surrender. "That's not very nice. You should be _respecting_ your elders, missy."

Still glaring, but ignoring him, she demanded, "Where's the Superior? I want to speak with him _right_ now." Her thoughts drifted back to Halloween Town and the horrible betrayal.

"You can't do that, I'm afraid," he answered, smirking. "You see, all of the others set off to continue their work. I, however, was ordered to hang back and wait for your return. In other words, I'm your babysitter."

Reixka settled down only a little, knowing there was not much she could do as she slid against the cool wall and sat on the floor, "Babysitter? Pfft."

"I was also given permission to do whatever I like if I so please, or if you give me reason to." He added, his smirk widening, if possible.

She rolled her eyes and, in a voice laced with sarcasm, said, "I am so sorry if I hurt your feelings, Master Vexen. However can I make it up to you?" She barely had time to draw another breath as a rather sharp piece of ice materialized before her throat.

"You see, without Larxene around, any and all sarcastic remarks aimed at me may prove... fatal," he stated, allowing the ice to shatter upon the floor. "Not that the Superior would mind. Now that your Somebody is back in existence, he won't really have a use for you."

Reixka glared at Vexen, her free hand balling into a fist while the other tightened painfully on the keyblade's hilt. Despite her anger, she mumbled in a quiet voice, "That's a lie."

"Is it?" Vexen drew to his full height and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the Nobody to her thoughts.

**XxxxxX**

Stefa found herself able to enjoy the fight a little once she felt safer. She was, more or less, just relieved to feel the anxiety and the cool air on her face. "Fighting never looked this fun," she said to Roxas, smiling, as they both slashed relentlessly at the dragon's head.

He answered with a smirk. "Poor Naminé, she's missing out."

"I'm surprised this Nobody isn't going after her," noted Elie as she sprang onto the dragon's head, and, instead of just slashing, she started to bang it in the head with Dragon Fang. **(A/n: Obviously her keyblade's name.)**

Grinning, Stefa said, "Don't piss off the dragon, now, Elie."

"Aw, but this is so much more fun!"

"The similarities between you and the younger Sora are scary," remarked Riku as she continued to beat the dragon over the head. **(A/N: Imagine chibi Elie doing this in some sort of gif animation. xDD) **

Sora also grinned. "Are you kidding? I was more laid back then than she'll ever be." Lightning bolts reigned upon the dragon as he raised Ultima, and the Nobody had finally had enough. It stood up on its hind legs and slanted its back so that Elie, Sora, Stefa, Roxas, and Riku slid right off. Once they hit the ground, it slammed back onto all fours, causing a shockwave to spread out from beneath it.

"Ouch," mumbled Stefa and Elie as they fell back to the ground. For the fist time, they noticed an odd, and very large, portal of darkness was beneath the dragon.

Roxas stared at it in wonder as they attempted to close back in on the Nobody, "What the-? What is that?"

"There's only one way to find out," decided Sora as he took several steps forward, an extremely unintelligent move. The moment he took one step into the black puddle, began to sink; Roxas and Riku wasted no time in pulling him back out.

Riku rolled his eyes once Sora was freed. "That wasn't the smartest thing you've ever done."

"And, as your Nobody, Sora, I can rightly say that you've done a lot of stupid things," added Roxas.

Elie, however, was not to be deterred. "We can get across!" The boys stared at her with disbelief, but Stefa nodded in agreement.

"We're really good with gymnastics. As long as we don't hit the puddle too many times or go down too hard, we should be able to make it across easily," she decided.

Sora eyed the darkness with dislike. "We'll fight with our magic." The girls agreed and the boys ran off to face the dragon face to face.

"I know you can, at least, Elie," remarked Stefa. "With your energy, I'm surprised that you can't fly."

Elie laughed, dipping into a low bow. "Why, thank you. Are you ready?"

"You go first," she answered with a sheepish smile; Elie didn't seem to care. She called off Dragon Fang, and performed several backhand-springs. Elie hit the puddle about twice, but, with much effort, she managed to fling herself to the dragon's tail and climb up from there.

Elie re-summoned her keyblade, calling, "C'mon, Stefa!" Then, she moved onto the back and began to attack the Nobody once again.

Stefa nodded, gulping a little as Shadow Heart disappeared, and followed Elie's example. However, she got a little too comfy with the ground, and fell on her back on the third spring. At first, she was confused, then, quickly, surprised. Finally, she was terrified. "Uh, Elie?" She attempted to shout, but her voice died in her throat as she plunged beneath.

**XxX**

Stefa was flying, headfirst, toward the ground... Only, the ground appeared to be some sort of pillar depicted an image on its pink stained glass. Surrounding her was darkness. As she fell, she looked over the picture of Kairi, Sora, Riku, Roxas, Naminé, herself, Elie, a few people she didn't recognize, with hearts decorating it. She hit the ground with a rather violent thud, but it did not hurt nearly as much as it should have. "Ouch. In any regular world, that should have killed me, or given me a concussion."

A voice called from somewhere above, in the darkness. _'In case you haven't noticed, you aren't anywhere normal.' _It took a few minutes, but she realized that she recognized this voice.

"I've heard you before! Last time, when I first got my keyblade and was all confused... I fought my anti-form, or something, didn't I? What am I doing here?" Nothing responded and, even after waiting a few moments, she still received no answer. "I think I'm going insane."

Finally, the voice agreed, _'Yes, you did, but that was not an awakening.' _

"An... awakening?"

_'Yes. An awakening is when you learn your true power. Sora, Roxas, Riku, Naminé and Kairi have already gone through this.'_

"I _know_ my true power."

_'Just listen to what I say. Call upon your keyblade and go up to the highest platform.' _Stubbornly agreeing to obey the disembodied voice, she summoned Shadow Heart. The instant she did so, Shadows began to appear on the ground.

Through gritted teeth, she slashed the Heartless out of her way. _'This voice wants to kill me.'_ The Shadows disappeared into clouds of darkness, and, agitated, she mumbled, "Now, how do I go up, oh, magical voice?" At her words, yellow and orange glass steps began to appear, leading up to another pillar.

"If I wasn't already so used to things like this, I would have thought that I've gone truly crazy," she half-sang as she followed the steps upward, each one disappearing as she stepped onto the next though Kairi's platform remained. When she reached the next one, no Heartless appeared, and she elected to look at the picture.

This time, the color of the stained glass was more or less silvery, mainly depicting Naminé with smaller pictures of Roxas, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Elie, herself, Axel, and more hearts. There were also a few pictures of what looked like sketches that Naminé herself had drawn. "No more Heartless? But no stairs..." And, as though she said the magic words, Dusks began to appear by the dozen.

"Of course. Naminé was a Nobody so Dusks would come into play here..." Once again, she charged forward and fought them off. They were nowhere near as easy as the Heartless, and several welts on her arms and legs formed, though she kind of wondered how it had gone through the cloth of her robe. Once she cleared the platform, new steps appeared.

This time around, she was a bit hesitant to go forward. "Who knows what I'll meet up with this time," she mumbled, eyeing the stairs with a wary expression. After a few more moments of standing on Naminé's platform, she forced herself to take the steps.

Like before, each step disappeared behind her. "This had better be the last one," she grumbled when she made it to the next platform, the color of which was ocean-blue. To her mild surprise, the main feature was her. She shook her head as she looked at those around her. There was her Nobody, Reixka, Kairi, Naminé, Roxas, Riku, Sora, Elie, Cloud, Aerith, and... Quince. When she looked closer and ignored the painful feeling in her heart from the association of his picture and name, she noticed another girl, a brunette in an orange t-shirt.

"...Nalani." She took a few steps closer to stand beside the image of her best friend, and bent down to touch it. Before her fingers touched the smoothness of the glass, she noticed something else odd on the platform. It had been nearly impossible to see standing but, being so close, she now noticed a strange, small black image between herself and Reixka. The image resembled that of a child's drawing of a girl; the girl was made up of a circle for a head, a triangle for her body/dress, two long rectangles for legs, and an 's'-like shape coming off of the head as a ponytail. "Weird." As her fingers reached out to the grass, she froze, sensing something behind her. All she had to do was crane her head a little to find herself face to face with herself. Rather, the black form of herself.

The last time she had seen it was when Quince dragged it out from her heart in Traverse Town; it had been quite some time. _'The closer you get to the light...'_

"The greater your shadow becomes," mumbled Stefa as the voice said the same thing.

_'Do not take anything lightly; size is not everything.'_ The shadowy Stefa seemed unable to stand still any longer, and she struck out with a black tar keyblade. Stefa barely had a spare second to react and just missed getting hit.

Stefa held Shadow Heart at the ready. "I've lost to you _twice_, but they say that third time's the charm." Determined, she rushed at the dark form of herself.

**XxxxxX**

From the ground, beneath the dragon, Riku called up to the girl positioning herself on the Nobody's head, "Elie! Where did Stefa go?"

"Huh?" Elie paused, gazing around wildly, before sliding down onto the back and peering into the portal of darkness, "Oh, no." She returned to the head for a moment, slashing it a final time. "I, uh, think we might have a bit of a problem here..." Roxas gave Sora a boost, allowing the Keyblade Master one last powerful swing before returning to the ground.

Elie jumped off when she noticed darkness that was beginning to engulf the dragon as Naminé joined them. They watched with awe as the dragon fell to its knees and faded into the darkness, the portal disappearing with it. _'But no Stefa!' _thought Elie, anxious.

"'A bit of a problem'?" echoed Naminé. Elie nodded her head at the spot where the darkness had been but Stefa was not.

"...That's a huge problem," groaned Roxas as he ran a hand through his hair. They had just gotten Stefa back and, once again, she was gone. That seemed to be the story of their lives when it came to the princess.

Behind them, against the cliff wall, Kairi's eyes fluttered open as she came to. "What happened?"

Sora rejoined her, enveloping her in a gentle hug, "Kairi!"

"What are we going to do?" asked Elie, guilty and abashed. The others became silently thoughtful, but Naminé was the first to speak.

"I know what to do," she told them, a portal appearing beyond her outstretched hand. Chain of Memories appeared, and she shouldered it before making to enter the portal without another word.

Roxas gently grabbed at her arm, and she stared at him without blinking. "What are you going to do?" He asked slowly, worriedly.

"I rescued you from the darkness before, right?" Naminé winked. "Just trust me." He released her, and she disappeared into the portal.

**XxxxxX**

Stefa hit the cool glass and slid backward, nearly sliding right off of the platform. "It would be nice if someone wasn't trying to kill me every chance they got!" she raged as she lunged with Shadow Heart. Once again, her darkness dissolved and disappeared. Frowning, Stefa briefly examined her keyblade, which was shaking quite a bit; her hand was shaking much more violently than the weapon it was wielding, and she wondered if it was out of anger, fear, or both.

She heard her anti-form appear before she saw it, and, this time, managed to jump out of the way. Stefa swung herself around, and Shadow Heart connected with the dark figure this time. Her victory was short lived when her other jabbed her in the stomach with its keyblade. It pressed the keyblade in for at least a couple of minutes, until Stefa was clever enough to use her keyblade to push off the other.

Stefa turned her head to cough and wished for nothing more than to be able to lay down peacefully on the cool platform, though she knew that was irrational and would not happen. It seemed that her darkness was getting aggravated either with her pathetic enemy or with the fact that Stefa could manage to defend herself. Then, the strangest thing of the day happened; the creature opened its black mouth and spoke. "So pathetic," it growled in a raspy voice. "Such a waste of time. Such a waste in general."

It ran toward her once again and, instantly, her leg flung out to kick it. "Reactions really do work," she mumbled, pleased and thankful that her body had reacted before her brain could. She tried to wave off what she had heard, what she had seen, as she slammed Shadow Heart against the tar keyblade _'We're evenly matched,'_ she realized, annoyed. Her heart thudded hard against her chest, and, to her surprise and delight, a silvery light shot out from her and engulfed her anti-form. The light did not cause the anti-form to disappear, but it did drag it back into Stefa's body.

"That was... so weird." She allowed her body to sink onto the platform, and she pressed a rosy cheek to the cool glass. The coolness disappeared after about a moment as it was replaced by wetness, almost tar-like in substance. She reopened her eyes and began to flail at once. Where the once beautiful picture of her friends had been was now gooey black and purple darkness. She flipped onto her back and attempted to force herself up, but the darkness was engulfing her body quickly.

"Are you kidding me?" she shouted, allowing Shadow Heart to disappear as she kicked her leg and reached out with her arms for something, anything, to hold. "I swear, I have the worst luck!" she exclaimed to no one in particular as desperation engulfed her.

"You really do," agreed a soft and delicate voice and, suddenly, Stefa's left hand met with another, and a white light engulfed the area.

**XxX**

The first thing that Stefa saw was darkness, and she assumed it was because the darkness had engulfed her. Like the conversations with Quince, she assumed the familiar voice back on the platform had been her imagination. When something released her from the darkness, and she found Naminé's smiling face before her own, she nearly cried with joy. Instead, as Naminé pushed the hood of her costume onto her shoulders, she managed to say, "Thanks."

Then, she looked around and started at their surroundings as Naminé flopped herself onto what looked like a small rectangular-shaped platform. Everything was blue and, without consciously speaking, she mumbled, "This looks rather familiar..."

Naminé nodded. "When you gave hearts to me and Roxas, you got to take a peek at our memories, too, but... you probably don't remember all that much." She looked around with a certain fondness. "This is where I brought Roxas after saving him from the darkness, too."

"Thanks," repeated Stefa, managing a smile. "Can anyone else get here?"

Naminé nodded once more. "Sure. Riku came here, too; right after I had saved Roxas and was about to tell him that he was a Nobody, Riku stopped me. But you've heard all of the stories, so no one can blame him. He was just looking out for Sora." She continued when she realized that Stefa wasn't satisfied. "Others probably can, too. It's just that, no one knows where this is; it's nothingness." It was strange for her to hear Naminé speaking of nothingness; she always seemed like the cheerful one, though, she guessed, everyone had the darkness in their pasts and though Stefa knew of Castle Oblivion, she had not heard the stories.

Naminé's light blue eyes caught sight of Stefa's, and she giggled. "Don't worry, Stefa. I'm your friend. I wouldn't take advantage of this place and kill you." It was also odd to hear delicate Naminé speaking of killing or anything related to death.

Had she not been thinking about what happened with the pillars and darkness, she would have laughed at the joke. "It's not that, Naminé. It's... I'm confused."

"You were the last one of us to awaken, so I imagine that you are," she agreed with a light nod. Suddenly, she leapt off of the platform and summoned a portal. "Let's go. You can explain to everyone at once and prove to Elie that she didn't screw up completely," she added with a small smile, which Stefa reflected as they took the portal.

**XxX**

"How long have they been gone?" Riku asked for what Sora counted as the fifth time in ten minutes.

Worried, Roxas mumbled, "Naminé's been gone for a good ten minutes at least. Stefa's been gone for longer, but who knows how much longer." Had Reixka's purpose been to separate Stefa and, what, kill her? Take her heart? Roxas glanced around at the others and saw the worry on their faces; they were obviously thinking the same thing.

Another portal appeared in the cliff wall as Stefa and Naminé stepped out, the others rushing to meet them. Many of them began to talk at once, so Naminé put a finger to her smiling lips. "Stefa has a great deal to tell us, but I think that we should go and catch up with Jack and Sally first."

The others mutely agreed. "But how do we get back?" inquired Kairi as she looked around the abandoned area.

"Don't worry about that," said Sora, a smile appearing on his face. With Kairi's hand in his, he headed for the waterway and followed it to a cave-like opening. "It's a bit of magic, but nothing harmful," he added, mostly to her, as they disappeared.

Naminé looked to Stefa for a moment before she and Roxas followed Sora and Kairi. Elie looked from Stefa to Riku, grinned mischievously in understanding, and headed for the pathway as well. "Well? Did you miss me or what?" Stefa asked with the same mock-arrogant smile from when she was fifteen.

Riku rolled his eyes, embracing her without a second thought. He had never had the opportunity to hold her so many times before but, he decided, he would no longer allow those opportunities to go to waste. "No, of course not, tat's exactly why I called you back from the darkness," he mumbled into her hair.

Stefa felt the blood rush to her face even once he pulled away. "Well, I missed you lots."

"How did the darkness treat you?" He asked, smirking knowingly.

"Badly," she answered with a sour face. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the moonlight glint off of something and ran to pick it up. Riku came to join her and the two of them stared at it, a keychain in the shape of a Nobody.

She looked up at him, and he answered her unspoken question. "Keep it. I only need one keychain." Stefa held the keychain in one hand, her free one wrapping around Riku as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Together, they headed back toward Guillotine Square.

"We were just about to come and look for you," Jack was telling Sora and the others when Stefa and Riku appeared out of the fountain. "Santa's back home, safe and sound."

"Good news," announced Sally, smiling at the wielders, "He said that all of you are on his nice list."

"Cool!" Sora shouted, smiling victoriously; Kairi giggled and patted him on the head.

Jack smiled at the group. "It was great seeing you again, Sora. And it was nice to meet you all."

"Jack, just tell me this," began Sora in a serious voice not fit for him. "You're leaving Christmas to Santa this year, right?" Everyone laughed at Jack's crestfallen expression.

**XxxxxX**

"Vexen threatened me," whined Reixka from her spot on the couch opposite of Larxene, who was reading a leather bound book. "I demand a new 'babysitter' if that's what Xemnas is calling it."

Without looking away from her book, she flipped a page. "I'll take care of him, Rei." With no warning at all, she slammed the book shut and looked over at her companion. "Are you happy now that you and your Somebody are separate?"

"Hardly," sighed Reixka. "I don't like how I feel now... I feel so..."

"Incomplete?" Larxene offered, smirking. "Yeah, well, get used to that one; you're a Nobody, it's expected out of you."

"That sucks."

Larxene nodded curtly. "That's why you're with us. Xemnas is looking for a way to get us back our hearts."

Reixka looked up, a dark expression on her face. "That's not the only thing he's doing. What is he trying to accomplish by sending us to different worlds?"

"The same as usual," sighed Larxene, as if Xemnas' plans bored her, "Trying to get us to turn powerful people into Heartless so that we can get their Nobodies."

"Hm. He's going to use my Somebody, isn't he?"

Larxene shrugged her shoulders lamely as she stretched her legs out on the couch. "Who's to say what the Superior is planning? No one knows him better than him." She closed her eyes. "Well, alright, nobody knows what he's thinking. One Nobody to be exact," she added, opening an eye, "Saïx, his bitch, or whatever else you'd like to call him." Her lips were set in a smirk. "I, quite personally, can't wait to see what happens to that traitor. She left the first time without a punishment, and now for a second time... Sheesh. Maybe ol' Xemnas is growing soft."

Reixka nodded a little, knowing who the Nymph was speaking of immediately; Elie, the non-Nobody.

**XxxxxX**

"You don't really want to go home, do you?" Elie whined to Stefa in one of the ship's rooms while the boys took care of the ship in the cockpit.

Stefa opened an eye. "What? You don't?"

"What do _I_ have to go back to?"

She quirked an eyebrow, fighting back a laugh, "You have a _mother_, don't you?"

"Oh, right. Her." Naminé and Kairi both shook their heads, lying on the bed beside Stefa, while Elie faced them from the couch of the room.

Kairi remarked, "That's nice. I was ecstatic to see my 'parents' when I got home from my first journey, although I could have done with Sora and Riku being there, too."

"Well, what can I say, Kai?" Elie rested her arms behind her head as she closed her eyes. "You're crazy." A pillow hit her square in the face.

"Less than you," conclued Naminé with a small smile as she turned toward Stefa, "You can't leave yet, Stefa. Cloud would kill us if he knew that we brought you back from the darkness and then merrily sent you home without dropping you by. Besides, the worlds need us all."

"After we go to the Radiant Garden," Stefa said in a tone that suggested she was attempting to negotiate, "can we drop by my home for one or two days so that I can show my family that I'm alive and well?"

"That means we get to stay, too? You're not going to hide inside of your room and hope we never come back?" asked Kairi, a playful smile on her lips.

Stefa yawned. "Aw, of course not, you guys are my friends. I missed you all so badly. It might be fun; we could go to the pool."

Naminé, Kairi, and Elie exchanged looks of happiness. "Sounds good!"

Elie sat herself up on the couch. "Well, missy, you haven't told us what happened while you were in the realm of darkness; it's time to explain."

Stefa nodded her head slowly. "I can even tell you what I... heard, I guess, from Reixka."

Naminé and Kairi looked confused at first, but then they remembered the Nobody, and understood. Stefa started to explain her talk with Quince, "It was like he was trying to keep me... there. He didn't want me to fade."

"That's strange," mumbled Elie muttered, her hyper and childish behavior fading at the mention of her cousin. "He faded. Kind of, didn't he?"

"That's what I thought, too... But there he was. He was making fun of me and everything, that's how I figured out that he had to be slightly real. When I asked him if he was real, he just smirked and said that was a good question. But he did say he'd always be with me." Stefa had hardly noticed, but her voice had become terribly quiet when she spoke the last sentence. "Just like Sora told me, when he was fading away, he was forgetting everyone. I was, too. But then I met up with Reixka later and she inherited my memories and I told her that she had a heart, my heart, and I didn't think that she could have another one... But I don't really remember what else I said to her.

"The only thing that I can really remember about what Reixka felt and heard is that... Well, she thinks Xemnas is up to something, more than just finding hearts. I never really understood how a Nobody felt, but Reixka... was so confused and angry... Angry at me because she was created because of me; she wants to be a Somebody more than anything. It's sad."

Naminé smiled knowingly and sadly. "The life of a Nobody usually isn't a happy one. And, even if it turns out good in the end, there's all of that confusion in the beginning... Like Roxas. Learning that his life in the alternate Twilight Town was a lie wasn't the best thing that anyone can hear."

"Imagine," Kairi sighed as she stared at the ceiling, "Leading an average life with lots of people that you care about, and then learning that it was nothing more than false memories." Naminé smiled sourly. "Since my first adventure ended, I really have changed. Going on without Sora and Riku for a year was difficult and it made me a different person. It makes me feel kind of bad that I'm no longer that carefree kid."

"It's funny how there are still many people in different worlds that are living without knowing about the existence of other worlds, Heartless, Nobodies, and keyholes..." Stefa said, and, in an odd way, agreeing with what Kairi had said.

Elie was still serious as she muttered, "I know things about the Organization. I think that Xemnas is planning to start some sort of takeover, which is probably why he still wants Reixka around; she can unlock the keyhole to each world and allow them to come in and take over."

"But why would Xemnas want to take over other worlds?" Naminé muttered more to herself than anyone else. "It sounds more like the thoughts of a person like Maleficent than a Nobody like him."

"But look at his Heartless; Xemnas wants vengeance and power," pointed out Kairi.

"It's true," agreed the others.

Sora poked his head inside of the room. "We're at the Radiant Garden."


	10. Encounters

**A/N: **6.16.11: **So, in editing this chapter, I took out a lot of extra unnecessary stuff. It was cute at the time but, just... no. xD' I suppose I've never mentioned this, but Marluxia/Larxene is more or less of an implied pairing.**

Old: **I loved how Stefa was contradicting/getting pissed at the mysterious voice last chapter. I always did that in Kingdom Hearts i, and it was surprisingly pleasing. Due to the death threats from my best friend (or, rather, her intimidation tactics xD) I am updating fast. :D** **Anyway, in the last chapter, I thanked Kristi and Lily for their support... but I forgot to mention someone else who's stuck with me since the first book. :D' So, thanks, Kitsune-chan. :DD**

**Disclaimer-Yeah... I still don't own Kingdom Hearts, but I officially own the three official games. :D Although it would be nice to have the Final Mixes...  
**

* * *

When they first landed in the Marketplace, Stefa had been prepared to make a remark about how the Radiant Garden didn't look any different, but she realized this was not true; the tiles that had been missing from the ground had been replaced. And, just by glancing around, she could tell that the Restoration Committee had worked hard to fix up the place. Stefa let out a low whistle. "Wow."

Kairi stepped beside her as the others moved on ahead. "They've done well, huh? We better hurry; everyone will want to see you!" She grabbed Stefa's wrist as the two of them ran out of the Marketplace

**XxxxxX**

"Marluxia has been acting weirdly toward me lately," complained Demyx. It was early morning (although it was hard to tell in the realm of darkness), and he was sitting alone in the kitchen with Reixka.

She rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?" he repeated with increased puzzlement.

Reixka let out an aggravated sigh. "Marluxia thinks that you're a threat."

Demyx was still not following, "A... threat?"

She was about ready to smack herself in the forehead, but she resisted. "Larxene. Marluxia. You," she paused to take in her friend's expression. "Do you get where I'm going?"

He was quiet for a moment, and then he nodded his head vigorously. "Marluxia's afraid that I'll get stronger than him and Larxene!"

Reixka did not stop herself from smacking her forehead this time. "Yes, Demyx, that's exactly it..." She sighed and shook her head ; it just was not worth the effort. Demyx smiled, gave her a pat on the back, and left the kitchen.

Lexaeus, who appeared to have been eavesdropping, entered the room with a smirk. "You're not trying to get the Nocturne to understand things beyond what his brain is capable of, are you?"

She realized that this was the first time she had actually had a real conversation with him, and she knew why; he looked quite intimidating. "Sadly so, a futile effort, huh?"

He boomed with laughter. "He's _your_ friend, Number XIV."

She tilted her chair back as she stared at him for a few moments. As she had never spoken with him before, she decided it was worth a shot to ask, "What's the point of us going to different worlds?"

There was a brief suspicious look in his eyes before he shrugged. "No longer do I try to understand the Superior's actions," he answered cryptically. "Besides, we have all been going to the same worlds as you must unlock other worlds for us."

"Unlock...?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Another male voice answered. "Each world has a heart, like a regular person does. When the world's heart is unlocked, it can be easily destroyed. Not to mention, you can send a large amount of Heartless and Nobodies to it." They looked to the entryway where they found Zexion pausing outside of the kitchen.

"So, the Superior wants me to unlock the hearts of many worlds so that he can destroy them?" wondered Reixka.

Zexion shrugged as he joined them. "It's probable. However, for now, I think he just wants to make it easier for us to take care of the powerful forces in each world." She fell silent as she considered this.

**XxxxxX**

When they reached Merlin's House, Sora threw open the door and announced, "We've dragged someone here to see you guys!" Roxas and Riku stood on either side of him, Kairi and Naminé behind them, and Stefa and Elie were at the tail end.

From the kitchen, Cid replied, "You don't expect us to actually come and look for ourselves, do ya?"

Stefa forced herself to the front of the group, pouting. "Aw. I guess two years later that I haven't been missed as much as these guys have led me to believe."

"_Keira!_" exclaimed Yuffie as she sped down the stairs and embraced the girl in a bone-crushing hug.

"That's Stefa, Yuffie," corrected Leon.

"Y-Yuffie, you can call me whatever you want; just don't kill me." Stefa muttered in a strained voice, "Can't breathe."

"Oops." Yuffie murmured in her happy-go-lucky voice as she released her. "Sorry!"

Gingerly, Stefa rubbed her arm. "I missed you, too." Cloud and Tifa exited the kitchen, baby Aerith in her arms. Stefa did not give much to holding back her excitement as she ran across the room and knocked right into Cloud.

He managed a soft laugh as he returned the embrace. "You're back," he said with a smile.

"I am."

A new voiced called from further up the stairs. "Jeez. There's a love fest going on down here and I'm not invited?" remarked a girl, who was hanging off the railing, with bleach-tipped brown hair wearing a long sleeved green shirt beneath an orange tee, and a green skirt over a ragged pair of jeans. How long had it been since Stefa had heard that voice? A little over two years, at least, she decided.

She released Cloud and her eyes scanned the room until they stopped on the girl standing on the staircase, "Nalani? What the...?" Both girls stared at each other for a moment before squealing, running toward each other, and jumping around in excitement. After several moments, they managed to become relatively calm. "You're supposed to be dead... heartless. Whatever."

Nalani coughed. "Oh, thanks. Yeah, I noticed when I went to take a stroll in the graveyard."

Then, as if she remembered what was going on, Stefa looked up and glared at Nalani. "Why are you here? I mean... why do you exist?"

Nalani stuck out her tongue before she looked around at the room at large. "You guys wouldn't mind if I took Stefa away for a little, do you? We have some catching up to do. But you can catch up the group of them on what's going on. Thanks!" Nalani said to Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, and Tifa. She didn't wait for their answers as she grabbed the arm of her best friend and dragged her out of the house.

**XxX**

"I've already heard your story; most of it, at least." With the little munny that Nalani had taken from the local Heartless, she bought Stefa and herself sea salt ice creams. The two of them were sitting on one of the higher cliffs in the Great Maw.

"Then, what's yours?" asked Stefa with a mouth full of ice cream. "I figured the darkness had gotten you, too. Apparently, I was right."

Nalani nodded her head and stared into the distance with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, it must have been the darkness, but it wasn't the same that you were in. I was drowning in it, and I was confused at what was happening. But then _he_ came along; a boy with really shaggy hair and a longsword. He took my hand and sent me into the light, I guess. That's what the King seemed to have thought."

"A boy?" Stefa asked in a scandalous tone, grinning. "Ooh."

Nalani replied by elbowing her in the ribs. "He kind of looked like that boy from school..." Stefa nodded, needing no further explanation about him. The boy in question was a decent friend of Nalani's.

Becoming serious, she asked, "Do you think it was him?"

"Who knows? Anything is possible, I guess... I mean, if you and Quince were dragged into this - dragging me into it, too, on accident - Who's to say that he wasn't as well?"

"What about the King? What happened when once you got to the light?" Stefa prompted as she licked at the dripping part of her ice cream.

"Well, I wound up in a weird courtyard; the castle behind it was huge. So, I followed my instincts and found a way inside. Actually, I was stopped by this really tall, crazy dog. He said 'Hyuck!' a lot. Goofy, I'm sure you know him," she added. "I tried to explain what happened, but he didn't totally believe me, so he took me to the King.

"The King understood what had happened. He said he had already met you, so this must have been while you were out adventuring. He had that creepy duck, Donald, teach me magic, and it was useful; I can do more than regular magic." Nalani stated with a particularly secretive smile. "After a while, he sent me home, but that was once you were already gone again. A few days ago, he came to Jewel's Grove with Donald and Goofy, and told me that we were going to the Radiant Garden to see the keyblade wielders. Here I am now."

Stefa whistled, pouting, "Geez. Your story sounds a lot more fun than mine. Much safer, too."

"I'm sure it's tons of _fun_ to have lost your heart," joked Nalani, "So, so, so! It's your turn, now. Tell me what's happened since... well... as far as you can remember after losing your heart."

Stefa took another bite out of her ice cream and put a finger to her chin. "Huh. Well, in the darkness... I met Quince, and I have no doubt it was him, whether real or imagined. I thought that he would be my light... but, I guess he couldn't be, because he's... well... you know," she mumbled, not wanting to have to speak the words. "He told me that he would always be with me... Anyway, after that, I met up with my Nobody, Reixka. I must have sounded half-crazy talking to her. I still don't understand _how _I talked to Reixka. Maybe it was because of our heart, because my mind was certainly in the darkness.

"My memories were going to her, too, and I was forgetting everyone. I tried to warn her that Organization XIII would use her, but she didn't want to listen. She wanted to know if I could give her a heart when I came into being again, and I told her I couldn't, and that she'd have to merge with me. It was strange. After that, I don't remember much until recently. Riku called me back from the darkness... He... was my light."

"I bet you wanted Quince to be your light," noted Nalani, and Stefa did not necessarily disagree, as she thought hard on the subject. Quince was... complicated. She had wrote him off during her previous adventure when he hurt her and her friends, but Riku was something different altogether. "But you do love Riku, don't you?" Nalani asked, as if sensing her thoughts.

Stefa nodded her head vigorously, blood rushing to her cheeks. "Of course! More than anything, but Quince... I've known him since we were kids."

"I understand, don't worry. What happened afterward?" Stefa began to tell her about the mini-fight with Reixka directly following her revival, and Nalani growled, "What a brat." Then, Stefa finished talking of the dragon and awakening.

"Wow, a true awakening, huh?" mumbled Nalani. "And I was in the picture? Cool! Quince too, huh?

Stefa nodded slowly. "Yeah... " she recalled her feelings as she stared at the stained glass, and shook her head. "Regardless, he'll always be with me; if nowhere else, here," she gestured to her chest. "There was something else, though, Nala. Something that didn't fit," the other girl watched with interest, and Stefa briefly explained the black figure.

"That... _is _weird, but I can't make any sense of it at all. Maybe it was a reference to Cloud's daughter?"

Stefa shrugged because, truthfully, she had no clue. "Maybe," she agreed, even if she did not much believe it herself. Something more probable came to mind. "Hey, maybe it was referencing my anti-form! It's been around so often that it wouldn't surprise me at all." They turned the conversation away from the serious stuff as Nalani began to interrogate her about Riku.

About two hours later, the two of them had long returned, and Stefa told everyone else about her awakening, though no one had thought it was of any significance. At the very least, no one had said anything out loud about it, and she assumed that some of them - particularly Sora - were thinking about it. Her theory about her anti-form was neither confirmed, nor denied.

Following the explanation, she had retreated up to the roof, which she distantly recalled jumping with Roxas once. When she looked down, near the front door, she could recall her first meeting with Quince out of Jewel's Grove. _'It's weird, though,' _she thought as she watched the sun begin to set. _'Back then, on the pillar, I remembered that memory from Twilight Town, the one I had of some girl distantly resembling me standing on a beach. Why would that be?' _

"You're very secluded," pointed out a voice from behind her, nearly causing her to jump off of the roof. A gentle hand grabbed her to prevent her from falling and she was pulled back down and beside Riku. "You have a nice chat with your friend, with everyone about business-related things, and then you come up here with no regular talk in between. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Stefa managed a weak giggle as she rested her head against his shoulder, surprised at how natural that felt. "Sorry, Riku; I should be ashamed."

"That's what I like to hear," he answered with his usual smirk. Her cheeks flooded with color as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her protectively; her heart fluttered and, once again, she was surprised at how right it felt.

After a moment or so, she mumbled, "How long do you think this calm will last?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "You need to be more of an optimist."

"I'm being a realist," she countered, sticking her tongue out; even at seventeen, she had not seemed to age a single bit.

His face became a little more serious as he answered, "You'll be alright, Stefa. I won't let anything happen to you again. I promise." She looked up, surprised, before a smile appeared on her face as she rested her head against his chest.

**XxxxxX**

"You probably have an idea of how to swim, right, Reixka?" asked Larxene as she, the aforementioned Nobody, and Demyx, appeared out of a dark portal and into a rather cramped, dark place.

Reixka squinted in the darkness, "Yeah. Where are we?"

"Atlantica!" replied Demyx with a grin she could not see.

"I meant what are we inside _of_."

"Oh." He answered by standing and pushing something up, and, Reixka took in her surroundings. The world was amazingly bright considering it was at the bottom of the ocean. Different types of seaweed, coral, and other ocean plants surrounded them.

Reixka attempted to get use to swimming and found, with little surprise, that she picked it up with ease. "Whoa. Cool. Is this why Vexen cast a spell on us before we left?" She glanced back at the other two, noticing the differences. "Oh. We're not in our coats anymore, are we?"

Larxene, who was now dressed in a blue bikini, shook her head, "Too hard to move around in," Reixka noticed that Demyx was wearing a pair of trunks with a wave design, and, when she looked down at herself, she was wearing a red bikini.

"I don't want to know how we magically got these on. Oh, no," muttered Reixka, shaking her head. She didn't ask what she was truly curious about: how they were breathing underwater; she simply assumed it also had to do with Vexen's magic. "Where do we have to go?"

Obviously pleased at knowing the plan for once, he answered, "The princess's Grotto." On another note, as he was still clearly pleased at being in the know, he added, "And someone else will be going after your Somebody about now."

_'So, she'll finally face the full wrath of Organization XIII,' _thought Reixka, grinning briefly, before repeating,"The princess's grotto? As in, a Princess of Heart?" Both Demyx and Larxene shook their heads.

"Nope. It would be inconvenient if she was, anyway, being a mermaid," stated Larxene.

"All we have to do is swim to the Grotto and I unlock the keyhole?"

"Yep! And stay out of sight," added Demyx.

Larxene shrugged. "Not that it matters if we're seen; I can use electric-based attacks after all." And there appeared the sadistic smile that Reixka had come to know so well.

"Fried fish, huh?" Reixka muttered, unable to help but smile.

"You bet!" replied Larxene as she swam forward a little, "Oh, how convenient. We picked a shell right near it." Reixka, looking back, noticed that the three of them _had_ squeezed inside of a shell; weird... and painful.

Demyx seemed to be dreading their mission now. "I hope she isn't in there."

"Where is it?" Reixka asked, following last, and stopping beside Larxene.

Larxene pointed at a rock that appeared to be obscuring part of a cave. "That right there." She swam down first, Demyx followed with Reixka hot on his heels. He pulled aside the rock to reveal the grotto's entrance and re-blocked it once everyone was inside.

With their luck, they spotted a mermaid laying on the rock in the center of the grotto; Larxene and Demyx had seen pictures of the princess of Atlantica and knew this wasn't her. This girl had long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail, and her tail was pink.

The Savage Nymph darted forward first, a joyful look on her face. Demyx and Reixka quickly followed in her wake. Grabbing a handful of her knives between her fingers, Larxene faced the girl. "I suggest you leave unless you want things to get ugly." Her voice was chilling, and, finally, the girl looked up at her with a truly frightened face. As she stared at the fifteen-year-old, Reixka felt... something. It was a difficult feeling to place, especially considering she had no heart.

As if she could sense that Reixka was thinking of her, the mermaid looked to her, You! You look kind of like..." She broke off, terrified as Larxene closed in.

Reixka forced whatever feelings she was having back down as an idea came to mind."No, please, Larxene. Allow me the pleasure." Larxene raised on eyebrow but said nothing as she backed off and Sakura Dawning flashed into her hand. "Melody, right?" Stefa's memories still flooded her brain, and it proved quite simply to call upon the girl's name as she smiled. "Yeah, it's me, Stefa."

"Stefa? I know a Keira, but not..." trailed off Melody.

"Yeah, yeah." Reixka waved her off. "That was my name at the time when I had forgotten my true name. Anyway, Melody," she moved closer and placed the teeth of her keyblade to the girl's throat. "Are you going to leave or what?"

"Why are you here? My mom's at the castle!" Melody suddenly grew suspicious, particularly at the sight of the weapon. Stefa's keyblade was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen, and she would not forget what it looked like any time soon. "You resemble Keira, but to a point; you're not her! That's not even her weapon! You want to use that keyblade thing and unlock the keyhole!" The three Organization members were taken aback. How could such a little girl know about such an important thing?

Larxene strode forward, electricity sparking in her hands. "See, _now_ you know too much... How... unfortunate."

**XxxxxX**

"_Someone_ looked comfortable earlier." Stefa was blushing terribly and Nalani was antagonizing her; it was just like old times.

She willed the blush to disappear, but it refused. "Why did you have to come call us for dinner?" mumbled Stefa. Nalani was one of the few who would use what she saw to her advantage.

"Because I'm your best friend, remember?" replied Nalani as she slung an arm around Stefa's neck and purposely dragged her down.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she whispered.

Nalani's hold tightened, though she still appeared cheerful. "_What_ was that?"

Stefa's red face was beginning to turn blue. "I love you dearly," groaned Stefa as cheerfully as she could manage without the proper amount of air. "And, I'm going to bed." Somehow, she managed to escape Nalani's vice grip and duck into her bedroom. She wasted no time in locking the door behind her. "She's scary sometimes."

"Sleep with an eye open," sang Nalani as she headed for her own bedroom. Even if Nalani and her violence sometimes frightened her, she was beyond relieved that she had the opportunity to be put into a headlock by her best friend once more. She collapsed onto the bed, sinking into the down comforter as she stared at the ceiling. Even if life would never be the same again, having Nalani back made her feel a little more normal. Stefa did not bother to kick off her shoes and climb under the comforter before passing out in the center of the bed.

**XxX**

_For some reason, her head felt particularly heavy as she lifted it from the ground. Stefa gazed around to take in her surrounds, but there was not much to see. Aside from the thin path she was lying on, there was only a smoky-like darkness surrounding her. Her hand unconsciously grasped the path, expecting it to feel like snow, but it was surprisingly hard. "Ugh," she grunted as she pushed herself to her feet. _

_She had been wrong after all; there was slightly more to the area. Up ahead, there was a set of large white doors. Though she was sure she had never been here before, it felt oddly familiar. Why? Where was this? Her feet were clumsy beneath her, and she tripped a little as she made for the door. There was something about the doors, some type of power from there was _drawing _her... _

_Her clunky white shoes stumbled over a bump in the path, and she fell onto all fours. Without standing, she looked up at the doors in awe. Now that she was closer, she could tell that they were slightly open... And there were people there! There was a boy, his hair spiked in an odd fashion, and, with a gasp, she realized it was the fourteen-year-old Sora! Behind him were the familiar forms of Donald and Goofy. _

_She tried to call to them, but her voice didn't seem to work. Frowning, she stood back up and drew close enough that she was nearly standing behind Goofy. The doors, which had been a little open, were now closing very slowly. Goofy and Donald moved onto either side of Sora as they pushed the doors closed. The worst part of it all was that they were closing the doors on someone inside, and that person was... Shorter silver hair, brighter eyes; it was Riku. They were closing the doors on Riku! _

_'Wait!' She wanted to call. 'Don't! Sora, he's your friend! Please, don't!' But then the doors were shut, and her resulting gasp was quite audible. Sure, she could gasp, but she couldn't speak. She turned around as Sora ran off and she followed after. Stefa stopped after a point when she saw Kairi, a younger version with shorter hair. Why was Kairi in the realm of darkness? Why was _Stefa_ in the realm of darkness? Kairi and Sora were grasping hands and obviously speaking. What was happening? She felt so overwhelmed. _

_And, all of a sudden, Sora released Kairi's hand and she was going downward on her little isle of sand. Sora was shouting comforting things at her, but Stefa knew that the other girl must feel awful. She turned around, wanting to get out, and her whole body stiffened. The doors that Sora had just sealed were opening again! Crawling out were armies of Shadows and several really large things that had heart-shaped holes in their chests. Stefa tried to summon Shadow Heart, but it was no good. This was it. _

'_Do you know why you're here?' A voice asked, but it was not her own. Stefa looked around for the source to no avail. 'This is where it all began.' A light engulfed the area, and the Heartless dissolved. As she was engulfed, Quince's smiling face appeared briefly and disappeared too soon. Once the light was gone, she was in a completely white area with nothing but a large mirror before her. Out of simple curiosity, she placed her hand on the glass; it was so warm that she should have taken her hand away, but she didn't. Her reflection mimicked her, even as she smiled and placed her other hand onto the glass. Why was she smiling?_

_The reflection morphed into a person she did not, at first, recognize. Fair hair and pale skin but, before she could get a better look, the glass turned black, like the glass on her necklace. The final thing she saw of the reflection was a cool smile. 'The beach,' she thought, still unable to speak. 'Why does this remind me of the beach?' _

_The glass returned to its crystalline color as her reflection morphed a second time. Staring back at her with brown and silver-streaked hanging down her back was her Nobody, who smiled in a creepy fashion, a different smile from both Stefa and the second image. There was a dagger clenched in Reixka's hand, and it shattered the mirror, causing pieces to break into Stefa's skin and knocking her backward. Reixka was standing above her, about ten feet taller, cackling madly as she brought the dagger down. Stefa screamed. 'You understand so little,' mused the voice from before. _

Stefa awoke in a cold sweat, her eyes scanning the room for hopeful signs that she was still in her bedroom. Her shoes clunked quite audibly as she placed her feet on the floor and rested her elbows in her lap. _'Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.' _Stefa managed to calm herself a little although she continued to pant. Distantly, she wondered if she had screamed out loud. After five more minutes of sitting up, she collapsed back onto the bed and re-closed her eyes.

There was a prickling sensation on her right wrist, slowly working its way up her arm. The sensation was beginning to feel like actual pressure on her arm, so she reopened her eyes. She was not ready to face what was clenching her arm. Several vines had sprouted from the ground and were beginning to take over her whole right arm. Briefly, she thought of Twilight Town, the train station, and the pink-haired Organization member... Too shocked to scream, she stared at the vines in horror. "...Ma-Marluxia." Instinct kicked in, and her legs began to kick at the plants, both of her arms wriggled, and she opened her mouth to scream, only to be silenced by a gloved hand.

**XxxxxX**

Little Melody lay on the grotto's floor, unconscious and unmoving. "I think you two might have gone a little overboard..." Demyx muttered as Reixka swam in the direction of the keyhole. Sakura Dawning automatically tugged in its direction, emitting a light from its tip. There was a clink, and Reixka knew she had done her job. Both females shrugged at Demyx's remark.

I want to hurt anyone that is special to Stefa," Reixka informed Demyx. "And that girl is just one of many." Demyx stared at her with shock. When he first met the Nobody, he was sure she had not been quite like this.

"That a'girl." Larxene patted Reixka fondly on the head before she and Demyx summoned Heartless and Nobodies by the dozen. "Take care of the ruler and his followers."

Demyx appeared nervous. "Can we go before she wakes up?" he asked with a downward glance at Melody.

"She's just a kid. What can she possibly do to _us_?" Larxene asked, laughing. "But sure. We're done here. The Heartless and Nobodies will take care of everyone that needs to be taken care of."

Reixka stared down at the girl as Larxene and Demyx swam past her. She felt something pull inside of her again. Could it be pity? No, of course not; she had no heart and that would never change. Reixka shrugged her shoulders and headed after Larxene and Demyx, who were already entering a portal.

**XxxxxX**

"Stefa? I thought I heard you scream. Are you okay?" called Naminé from outside of the bedroom, but there was no response whatsoever. She sighed. _'I don't like this. Even if she is just asleep... I'd rather be safe than sorry.' _Chain of Memories flashed into her hand, and a shot of light unlocked the door with a satisfying click.

Naminé pulled on the handle, opened the door, and closed it behind her. When she turned around to look at the room, she gasped. Marluxia was holding Stefa with one hand placed over her mouth. "Oh, Naminé," his voice was pleasant, as if he was talking to an old friend. She quickly turned to reopen the door, but several vines appeared around her. "Lock the door."

She heard herself whimper as she obeyed the orders and turned around to face one of the more sinister Organization members. "Come here." She decided she would not be ordered around that easily and shook her head. With Chain of Memories, she could not be controlled by him. Marluxia's scythe appeared in a flash of petals; he pressed it to Stefa's throat. "Come _here_." Once again, Naminé whimpered, tightened her grip on Chain of Memories (as if it would help), and walked over to Marluxia and Stefa. Stefa looked into Naminé's eyes; they shared a brief understanding.

Stefa elbowed Marluxia in the stomach, causing him to grunt in mild pain. She ran forward and stopped beside Naminé. "Now is not the time to play hero - I mean, heroine, Stefa," mumbled the once-Nobody.

"What's the plan, then?" Marluxia was drawing nearer to them.

"I need time to summon the portal. When I do, we'll jump in." The two of them barely nodded in understanding before setting in opposite directions.

Stefa summoned Shadow Heart and glared at Marluxia. "It's not very fair when you grab someone from behind, or break into their room." Now that she thought of it, if the Organization could break into houses, why had they not done it sooner?

Marluxia chuckled quietly. "Do not bother fighting me, Princess; we both know how this will end." Stefa pictured her fifteen-year-old self getting choked by vines in the train station.

She shook the thought from her head. "Bite me." Before she anticipated movement, Marluxia disappeared in a flurry of petals and reappeared behind her. Instinctively, she slammed her keyblade into his stomach.

"Stefa!" Naminé called from across the room, a portal beside her. Stefa ran toward it, but she was stopped by Marluxia swinging his scythe at her feet. She tumbled forward a little, but it was still not far enough to grab Naminé's outstretched hand. Her body hit the ground with a particularly loud thud; even if she couldn't get away, all of the noise they were making would certainly get someone's attention. Marluxia grabbed her foot, hindering her from calling, _'Hopefully before it's too late.'_

She nearly felt relief when two voices outside of the room called, "Stefa! Naminé!" Even Naminé had been loud enough to grab someone's attention. There was another clink as the door unlocked and Marluxia quickly summoned a portal and began to drag Stefa toward it. Naminé narrowed her eyes into a glare, allowing her portal to disappear as she swiped at Marluxia with Chain of Memories. Though it wasn't enough to do any real damage, it was enough to distract him. His grip on Stefa slackened as he swung Graceful Dahlia at Naminé.

Naminé, surprising even herself, held up Chain of Memories to block the attack. Roxas and Riku burst into the room as Stefa jumped up and swung at Marluxia from behind. Even if they weren't doing much damage, there dedication to beating the Nobody up was admirable. Marluxia's expression turned into an annoyed snarl as he swung at Naminé again and, this time, she did not block in enough time. The blade caught her around the stomach, and she fell quite gracefull to the floor.

When he turned on his heel in Stefa's direction, he found Riku standing before her with Way to Dawn raised. "I don't have time for your heroics, Keyblade Wielders," announced Marluxia as he disappeared with the petals again. He reappeared behind Stefa with little trouble and dragged her as quickly as he could to his fading escape. Marluxia was not anticipating Riku's speed or strength.

In a flash of light, the silver-haired keyblade bearer was before him, holding Way to the Dawn in an offensive manner. Stefa's heart was beating frantically in her chest. Marluxia ran forward, indifferent that he was dragging the princess behind him, and slashed at Riku with his scythe. Having peeled herself off the floor and, ignoring the gash in her stomach, Naminé raised her hands. "Light!" Light shot out of her hands and knocked Marluxia off balance, allowing Stefa to escape and regain her bearings.

"Thanks, Naminé." Riku called at the same time as Stefa while Roxas helped Naminé to her feet. back to the blonde.

They had, momentarily, ignored Marluxia; big mistake. "Riku!" called Stefa as the Nobody ran at Riku, bowling him over with Graceful Dahlia. Once Riku was out of comission, Marluxia fixed Stefa with a brief glare before disappearing again.

...And reappearing behind her. Stefa anticipated as much, and she awkwardly waved Shadow Heart behind her. Marluxia spat a curse as the teeth of her keyblade caught him in the fact. "That's all you can manage? You're getting a tad annoying being conscious." Graceful Dahlia was making her more familiar with her floor than she had ever expected. He reached out to grab her, and a brief light escaped from Shadow Heart, hitting the offending hand. There was another curse. "More trouble than you're worth," he growled as vines begun to drag her toward him, wrapping around her right arm and all of Shadow Heart. Once she was close enough, he wrenched her up by her free arm, nearly pulling it out of its socket in the process, and brought her face closer than she had ever wanted to his.

Graceful Dahlia disappeared as he pushed on the back of her neck, and the room disappeared from around her. With Marluxia disarmed, Roxas used his duel keyblades to knock the Assasin away. Before Stefa's unconscious body could fall to the ground, Riku pushed himself off of the floor and caught her. Naminé used another light spell on Marluxia and, with Roxas, they managed to throw him back through his own portal.

Roxas' chest was heaving as his keyblades disappeared. "She's alright. Marluxia just pressed the pressure point on the back of her neck. She'll probably wake up in the morning."

"It's bold of the Oranization to show up in her room like this," noted Naminé as she joined them and examined the damage done to her white nightgown; it was nothing she couldn't live with. While both she and Roxas were in their pajamas, she noticed, both Riku and Stefa were still fully dressed.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, well... It's a good thing you were around." Riku nodded a little too as Way to Dawn disappeared and he stood with Stefa's limp form. Shadow Heart disappeared in a shower of light.

"I don't want her in this room alone, so..." Riku exited the room and started in the direction of his own. "I'll take her into mine."

Naminé made to protest, but Roxas put a hand on her shoulder. "He doesn't want her out of his sight now, especially if the Organization can just come back," he said with a reassuring smile. "Speaking of, are you alright? That was so brave of you. A little reckless, but-"

She managed a small smile. "What can I say? I learned from you and Axel best." Roxas managed a chuckle as he pulled her into his arms. There was no doubt in her mind (or anyone else's that had been in the room) that she had come a long way from being pushed around by Marluxia and Larxene.

**XxxxxX**

Marluxia landed in the center of the crowded meeting room flat on his back. Reixka snickered, as did Xigbar and Vexen. "Judging by the fact that you're all alone, Number XI, I'd have to say that you failed."

"Remind me why we don't attempt to recruit Roxas back onto our side, sir?" Marluxia muttered as he picked himself off of the ground and allowed his weapon to disappear. "He's terribly powerful."

"It would be a wasted effort," answered Saïx. "He would never join us. Even if he did, he would be playing double agent for the other side."

Marluxia dusted his coat off. "I sure as hell don't like him on _their_ side,"

"What do you expect from Sora's Nobody? Or is it Somebody now?" added Saïx, if not a little bitterly.

The Superior appeared to be little more than bored. "I suppose that we will have to try to snatch the girl another time. This meeting is dismissed." At his words, the Nobodies dispersed, though most did not do so without first making a witty comment at Marluxia.

Larxene walked over to him and shook her head. "How is it possible for Demyx to execute a mission perfectly while you fail miserably?"

"Because he had you," came the sour reply.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, big chapter. Yay. :D That was a fun chapter. The fight sequence actually was something I was day dreaming about last night when I couldn't sleep. Only-Riku was in Naminé's spot which means that Naminé and Roxas never were going to come in. But I changed it. :D I know that Stefa seems pathetic, but she kinda is. xD' I mean, she hasn't truly fought in over two years. Aside from that, she hasn't faced Marluxia for a longgg time. Besides, I wanted to use that fight to show 1) Naminé's strength, 2) Riku's love. Why the second? Because it will be more important as the series goes on.**

**See you next chapter - please review!**


	11. The Rescue!

**A/N: **6.18.11: **Eliminated unnecessary stuff.**

Old: **Fast update, right? I'm going to mention Nalani's weapon in this chapter, but it is not mine; the design and name are completely Seldomknown's.**

**Disclaimer-I do not own Kingdom Hearts or **_**Hercules**_

* * *

Every little detail from the previous night had faded enough to make the entire thing seem like a horrendous nightmare. She rolled over on the soft bed and hit something reasonably hard yet, at the same time, soft. _'Must have fallen asleep with my books on my bed again,' _she thought with a groan as she opened her eyes. _'Wait. I'm not in school anymore.'_ Lying beside her was a boy in jeans and a yellow vest. Once her eyes brought everything into focus, she realized that she was staring at Riku's sleeping form. _'Riku?'_ Her eyebrows furrowed together as went to sit up. She was stopped, however, by Riku seizing her wrist.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she looked back at him to realize that he was still asleep. Had he fallen asleep holding her hand? She felt her cheeks burn a little at the same time as a smile appeared on her face. Without much of an internal struggle, she returned to the safety of the bed and looked around; this wasn't even her room. _'How did I end up in here?' _Panic only set in for a brief moment before recalling that Riku could easily be trusted. She focused her mind to remember what had happened to her... and the events of last night hit her. Stefa closed her eyes, rolled over, and snuggled into Riku's chest, "Stupid Marluxia."

"Good morning to you, too, sunshine." Riku's voice was a bit groggy as well as amused, and she jumped at the realization that he was awake, though she did not move away. Stefa was pleased to see that Riku had gained a sense of humor in her absence. She snuggled further into his chest, enjoying the comforting feeling as it occurred to her that she had nearly been snatched right out of her room by Marluxia. "I'm sorry." His voice was quiet and borderline disappointed.

Begrudgingly, she tore herself away from his warm body in order to get a decent look at his face. "What are _you_ sorry about?"

"I didn't come fast enough," he muttered.

With a frown, she freed her wrist and put her hands on his face. "Riku, don't feel bad. I didn't even know if I had screamed or not from that dream, so I'm lucky that Naminé is in the room next door. I could have taken him if he hadn't appeared behind me. Little sneak." Though ehr expression had softened, her voice hardened a little in the familiar disappointment she felt. She released his face and rolled onto her back. With a sigh, she recited, "_'Princess, we owe this all to you and your lack of strength.' _There's something I haven't had the pleasure of remembering for two years."

Riku rolled onto his side to stare at her. "Stefa, it's not—"

"Two years down the line and nothing's changed," she remarked with a bitter smile.

"Stefa," his voice was serious. "You're fine the way you are." When her expression remained bitterly disappointed, Riku dipped his face closer to hers, his lips brushing against her cheek. A happier smile appeared as she blushed. "Are you ready to go downstairs?"

Stefa shook her head, rolled back onto her side, and snuggled into his chest. "I never want to leave this bed," she confused, cheeks burning a darker red. Riku wrapped an arm around her, holding her securely against him.

**XxxxxX**

"Which worlds have been unlocked so far?" Xemnas asked of his right-hand man, Saïx. The blue-haired man turned to the Superior and smirked.

"Atlantica, Larxene probably wants to take control of that one, Olympus Coliseum, and Traverse Town." Saïx reported. "However, there are a few worlds that were never sealed and even more that have yet to be explored by the Keyblade wielders. Not to mention that one of the unlocked worlds is..."

"Yes, I know." Xemnas said, nodding. "There are many more worlds to be unlocked and even more to be discovered. The possibilities never end..."

"I have members occupying the mentioned unlocked worlds, and the rest are waiting for Number XIV." Xemnas nodded once more.

"Good, good... At least most plans are going to plan..."

**XxxxxX**

When Stefa finally tore herself from Riku's bed in order to allow the both of them to change, she went downstairs and found only one person in the kitchen. Nalani was sipping at a mug of coffee, apparently admiring the table, and Stefa made for the cabinet. She looked through it for some sugary cereal and, delighted, she found some Count Chocula awaiting her. Her stomach gurgled in response at the memory of her night and the dream, and she reluctantly sat at the table empty handed. "Someone had quite the night," noted Nalani, though she did not immediately look up. When Stefa did not respond, she explained, "Sora told me; I guess he ran into Naminé and Roxas last night."

Stefa nodded in understanding. "Bold of Marluxia," she grumbled. "Makes me feel safe." Nalani smiled as she raised her mug. "Hey, could I get your opinion on something? A dream I had?" Nalani nodded, and Stefa promptly relayed all of the details of her dream that she could remember.

Nalani eased onto the back legs of her chair once she was finished. "That's a weird-ass dream, Stef."

"But nothing significant?" she prodded.

Nalani shook her head. "Probably not, no. The weirdest thing is that you saw one of Sora's memories. As for the other girl, the one that wasn't your Nobody, well... You've seen her in your dreams for years, right?" Stefa nodded. "Probably just a recurring element, nothing big there."

"Yeah, you're probably right," mumbled Stefa, staring at the table for a brief moment before looking back at the brunette. "Hey... Do you... have any idea as to why I would... be able to give someone a heart? No one a heart, I guess is the better word; a Nobody. Why would I be able to give Nobodies hearts?"

Smiling, Nalani shrugged her shoulders. "You're asking the wrong person. Before this whole thing, I didn't think that there was anything more to the heart beside it being an essential organ."

Stefa knew it was silly to ask anyone about her heart; not even the king understood it. The only who probably understood it the most had been killed about three years back. "Guys!" A voice called from outside of the kitchen. The two stared at one another before exiting the kitchen and finding Leon in the middle of the living room.

"What's wrong, Leon?" asked Nalani.

"Trouble in more worlds. Can the group of you go help some other worlds?"

Stefa and Nalani nodded earnestly, "Which one first?"

"It would be a good idea to go see Olympus Coliseum."

With the lungs of life, Nalani walked over to the bottom of the staircase and shouted, "Sora! Kairi! Roxas! Naminé! Riku! Elie! Get your asses down here!"

**XxX**

"Olympus Coliseum?" asked Kairi and Naminé.

Sora nodded, clearly eager to return to the world. "Yep! That's where Herc, Meg, Phil, and Auron live."

From the transmission screen of their ship, Riku remarked, "I think Cloud was pissed that you took Stefa back so soon, Sora."

"No, I think Elie was more pissed about being left behind," said Stefa, also from the other screen. Sora, Roxas, Naminé, and Kairi were in one Gummi Ship with Riku, Stefa, and Nalani in the other.

Smirking, Sora stated, "I think Cid was pissed the most because we needed him to fix us up another gummi ship. Now, if only I could figure out where it is... Oh, there!" Roxas glanced on the radar, quickly realizing why his other had such a hard time locating the world; a huge cloud of darkness had nearly obscured all of the Coliseum.

"Follow us, Riku," instructed Roxas as Sora made a sharp left turn.

Riku followed with a much smoother turn. "Nice job barely evading that meteor, Sora."

"Shut up, Riku."

**XxX**

A few moments later, the group reconvened in a very dark area. Behind them was a large, foreboding, black coliseum, which was nothing like Stefa had pictured it. Across from them was a dangerous-looking, murky river. "Where are we?"

Sora gazed around the area with disdain, "On the other side of the Underworld. Oh, crap, we'll be needing that Olympus Stone to protect ourselves from the curse," he added in afterthought. Everyone, being caught up on the Keyblade Master's journeys, groaned.

"Let's focus on first things first. How do we get _across_ this nice little river?" Nalani asked bluntly.

"A boat. But it can't fit that many at once..."

Naminé, uncharacteristically annoyed, threw up her hands. "I've got a better idea!" She said, holding out a hand, and summoning a portal.

"...That's right." Sora muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Nalani shook her head as she entered the portal. "This is our leader..."

Several minutes later found the group still in the Underworld but on the opposite side of the River Styx. It was about as dark as before, but there were three different paths for them to take, the most pleasing of which was a staircase with a golden light. "It's... empty. Unusually quiet, too," noted Sora.

Stefa half-shrugged, "It doesn't seem like the Underworld would be normally teeming with people, does it? Where should we go to first?" She was gazing at the staircase with a hopeful expression as goosebumps appeared on her skin. Though she had not expected the Underworld to be pleasant, she had not expected it to be quite as creepy as it was.

Fortunately, Roxas suggested, "Let's go up to Olympus Coliseum." No one disagreed as they eagerly ran to and up the staircase. Sora reached the top first, and he was instantly assaulted by memories. Like his previous journey, the Coliseum stood tall and proud in all of its golden stature; Hercules and the others had finally rebuilt. A grin appeared on his face as he remembered that he was officially a hero now.

They entered the lobby without running into anyone. "Herc! Phil! Meg!" There was no response, and Kairi shuddered involuntarily. Sora looked back at the others, "Let's take a look at the arena." A small rope with a 'closed' sign was blocking the entry to the arena, but Sora could have cared less; he unhooked it and they stepped back into the sunlight.

Eyes scanned the area to find no human in sight. There was, however, a winged white horse tied to the gate in the back. "Pegasus!" Roxas and Sora called in unison; finally, a _familiar_ face. When they reached the horse, Sora used Ultima to break the rope with a single swipe. "Pegasus where are the-?" He cut himself short when he realized that he didn't speak horse.

"I've got a better idea." said Roxas, smirking. He turned to face Kairi, Stefa, and Nalani. "Have you guys ever wanted to fly on a winged-horse before?" The three exchanged looks of deep satisfaction.

"Pegasus, will you let these three ride you?" Sora asked the horse in a quite voice as he gestured to Kairi and the others. Pegasus neighed his approval, nodding vehemently. "It's settled, then. The three of you can squeeze onto Pegasus and he'll lead you to where everyone is. Don't worry, we'll follow. I think I already have an idea of who's up to this..."

"But what about that Olympus Stone you were talking about?" Naminé asked as Kairi, Stefa, and Nalani climbed onto the winged horse.

Sora dismissed her question, waving at Pegasus to leave. "I don't need to use drives. Even if it cuts our power in half... Well, we'll worry about it later." Pegasus neighed and kicked off of the ground, heading straight for the sky.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Stefa tightened her hold around Kairi's waist tenfold, causing the Princess of Heart to wince in pain.

"This is so cool!" Nalani exclaimed as Pegasus spiraled downward, back into the Underworld. He then flew toward the large door-like cave to the right. Heartless and Nobodies began to appear beneath them by the dozens, but, since Pegasus was so much higher than them, they couldn't attack.

Kairi sighed in relief, though she winced a little at Stefa's grip. "Finally, the Heartless and Nobodies can't attack us." Pegasus flew through the Underworld with ease, taking one entrance after the other.

When they looked at their surroundings this time, the three girls became unnerved. There were in a particularly large, open cavern, the bottom of which was lined by a lethal-looking green river. "There are things floating in that water," whined Stefa. "And if we fall..." At that point, Nalani, who was behind her, took her right hand and knocked on Stefa's head.

"Don't jinx us!"

Kairi bit down on her lip as Pegasus flew up a small staircase. "I'm not so sure that we want to go in here." Pegasus landed gracefully in the rather small room, which appeared to be somewhat reminiscent of a throne room. There were a couple of openings in the walls that appeared to have a view of other parts of the Underworld. At the front of the room was a throne, but it was not empty, and, in the corner near the throne, there was a handsome redheaded man with large muscles.

The man gasped at the arrival of his pet horse and the three fragile-looking girls, wondering why Pegasus thought it was a good idea to bring three innocent girls to Hades' throne room. The god in question rose from his seat, an amused expression on his blue face. As he drew close to them, Stefa felt her teeth chatter. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the friends of the Keyblade Brat."

Nalani, Kairi, and Stefa exchanged extremely surprised looks. They all were thinking the same thing: How did he know? "The Princess of Heart, Kairi, walks among us here in the Underworld. Who would have thought?" Hades set his purple lips into a smirk, "Youou look about as scary as you did when dear old Riku found you."

"You're wrong," argued Kairi, somehow managing not to stutter as she glared at the god of the dead.

Hades laughed. "End of the line, girls. You could have saved yourself a painful death and afterlife, but, hey, it's your funeral." A blue fireball was steadily forming between his open hands. Radiant Destiny, Shadow Heart, and Nalani's weapon, a long blue staff with a half-moon at the top and intricate shapes at the bottom, flashed into her hand.

Nalani pursed her lips. "Well, gee, I guess Sora was wrong when he didn't think we'd be fighting the God of the Underworld."

"Who's supposed to be dead!" added Stefa in a hushed voice.

Hades blue flame briefly turned orange. "_What_? The princesses can wield keyblades and this one can use a staff? How did they forget to warn me about _this_?"

Kairi exchanged looks with her two friends. Apparently, Hades had no idea that they didn't have the stone, so maybe they could play along without having to fight... "Hah! But you can't use the Olympus Stone because _I_ have it." Hades relaxed, the orange returning to blue once more.

"I say that we fight even if it's futile," suggested Nalani.

Kairi and Stefa raised their keyblades in agreement, "Aye!"

**XxX**

Way to Dawn destroyed a group of Heartless in one fell swoop. "Do you think that they're okay?" The amount of Heartless and Nobodies in the Cave of the Dead was both surprising and annoying, but it definitely explained the cloud of darkness surrounding the world.

Easy going as always, Sora replied, "Yeah, of course! What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Thoughtfully, Naminé suggested, "Whoever kidnapped your friends could attack them."

"Hades attacks them," added Riku, the name coming out as a growl.

"Hades is... Actually, Sora, you realize that you guys only _defeated_ Hades, right? Not killed him because the Underworld needs a god..." Roxas muttered, realization finally sinking in. Naminé, Roxas, Sora, and Riku stared at each other with horrified expressions.

"Shit!" Sora and Riku shouted in unison as they abandoned the useless fight against the Heartless and Nobodies and sprinted down the cave with Naminé and Roxas hot on their tail. They reached the entrance of the Valley of the Dead quite quickly, though they had to pause to catch their breath.

"What are we going to do without that stone? This was a bad, bad, bad idea," whimpered Naminé as they continued their run, carefully, up the slopes so that they did not fall into the water below.

**XxX**

"You know, I never much liked fire. Watera!" Nalani raised EaKaze **(A/n: Obviously her staff) **as a blue light emitted from the sphere within the halfmoon at its top. A large flow of highpressured water combatted the giant fireball that had been close to hitting Kairi and Stefa.

"Thanks!" called Stefa, wiping some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Without the stone, it was proving surprisingly difficult not to get their asses kicked.

Kairi was perhaps the boldest out of the group of them; she was standing quite close to Hades, Radiant Destiny raised. "That all you got?" demanded Hades, surprising her when he began to swipe at her with fire-engulfed arms.

It took a moment to recall her spells, but, pointing Shadow Heart at Hades' sighed, she cried, "Blizzaga!" A large shard of ice shot into the god's side, knocking him a little to the side. "The beauty of fighting three at once is that you can never keep an eye on all of us at the same time." She raised her keyblade as a large fireball flew toward her, the force of which forced her to one knee. "Screw. This."

Hercules could no longer bear to watch the girls, friends of Sora, suffer. He recognized Kairi as a girl that Sora had mentioned before, and knew that he couldn't allow any more harm come to them. He struggled against the titanium chains that had him bonded. "Run!" He finally shouted at them.

"Shut it, Herk the Jerk!" roared Hades, though he was somewhat pleased; Hercules' warning served more as a distraction for the girls, and Nalani, in her distraction, was oblivious to Hades' fireball until it sent her flying out of one of the windows.

Stefa forced herself to stand and began to run in the direction Nalani had gone. She wanted to go after her and make sure she was alright, but... she couldn't allow Kairi to fight Hades alone. Swallowing hard, she turned to Kairi. "Go make sure she's okay."

Kairi stared at her as if she were crazy. "Are you stupid? You can't take him on your-!"

Stefa shook her head and turned toward Pegasus, "Take Kairi after Nalani. Please?" Her voice was pleading. Pegasus snorted and neighed as he walked over to Kairi. She looked at Stefa before climbing on.

"Not so fast!" Hades exclaimed, but Stefa blocked his path.

A brief breeze was blown at her back as Pegasus and Kairi disappeared from the room. "Too bad so sad. You'll have to deal with me, now." Hades' calm blue head immediately turned into a fiery orange one.

"I'll take care of you, you little brat, I assure you!" When the next fireball hit her, it was evne stronger than any of his others, and she hit the wall and slid to the ground. "It doesn't matter if your friend has gone after her; Cerberus will get them both."

Hades' three-headed dog, Cerberus, she remembered. "Holy..." She had just sent Kairi into a trap.

Hades seized her by the front of her shirt. "Now you're about to find out what happens when you mess with the God of the Underworld." He hurled her across the room and sent a fireball in her wake. Relying completely on reactions, she blocked the fireball with Shadow Heart while she caught herself with her left arm. Her arm crumpled beneath her, and she swore quite loudly as she collapsed onto the ground, _'Damn it, damn it, damn it. This—'_ Without allowing her to get back up, Hades hurled another fireball her way, but it never hit her.

**XxX**

"Nalani!" Kairi leaned her head over Pegasus' neck as her eyes scanned the empty valley below, making sure to keep a tight hold. "Nalani!"

"Shh!" called a voice from not too far away. Kairi urged Pegasus forward where they found Nalani sitting perfectly atop a gargantuan black dog. Aside from a scorch mark on her arm and a few cuts to her face and arms, she was nearly untouched; surprising, considering she was perched atop the dog.

Kairi gazed at the creature. The three heads were huddled together on the floor, snoring quietly, one of them having a snot bubble. "So this is Cerberus, huh? He looks much less dangerous than Sora let on," she mumbled. Nalani carefully climbed on behind Kairi before the winged-horse gracefully flew off again. "You landed on that thing _perfectly _and without waking it up? Are you okay?"

Nalani nodded. "Besides the pain and the cuts, I'm great!" she replied, too loudly. They heard the giant snot bubble burst as growling began. They looked backward as an extremely pissed off Cerberus began to chase after them.

"Faster, Pegasus! Faster!" Kairi urged the horse as Cerberus began to close in. Pegasus ducked his head and flapped his wings faster until they were back inside the 'safety' of Hades' room. Standing before Stefa was Sora with Ultima held in front of him. Cerberus growled angrily as Pegasus landed in a part of the room that the dog could not reach.

"We're alive," declared Nalani as they hopped off of the winged-horse and patted Pegasus' head.

Roxas raised an eyebrow, smirking as he stared at the growlign and whining Cerberus, "Dog trouble?"

Breathless, Kairi agreed, "You could say that."

"Sora! Get out of here! Save yourself!" urged Hercules.

Hades turned toward the hero with an irked expression. "I'm warning you, Blunder Boy-!"

"Not without you, Herc," replied Sora, still facing Hades, as Riku and Roxas ran over to assist Hercules. With their keyblades pointed at the chains, they cast a fire spell powerful enough the melt the chains, at least a little. It was more than enough for Hercules to rip himself free the rest of the day. At first, Stefa thought she was seeing things, but quickly recalled that the redhead was part god.

Hades' flames became even more orange. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Naminé, the portal!" called Riku, pulling Stefa off of the ground with her left hand, to which she howled in protest. A portal promptly appeared beyond Naminé's pale hand, and everyone promptly filed in behind her, even Pegasus, before Hades could move.

Hades hurled a fireball at the floor, "Damn them!"


	12. The Olympus Stone

**A/n: **6.18.11: **This chapter amuses me so much. I added a conversation between Stef, Naminé and Roxas.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own KH or **_**Hercules.**_

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__The sun was still shining brightly over Olympus Coliseum, and everyone was collapsed inside of the arena. Sora, Riku, Roxas, and Hercules were sitting on the bottom stands of the arena, Stefa was laying on her back with her arm cradled against her body, and the remainder of the girls were sitting on the fourth row. "That was too close," gasped Kairi, still exhausted from the encounter with Hades.

"We've rescued Hercules, at least," mumbled Naminé though she didn't seem too rejoiced.

"Herc, where's everyone else?" asked Sora.

Hercules was studying the sand very carefully. "Hades threw them in the Lock. He put the keyhole back, so you're going to have to open it to get down there."

"That won't be too hard, we can go straight there," replied Sora with ease.

Hercules shook his head. "I doubt it will be that easy, Sora. Hades has probably sent Cerberus to guard it by now."

Roxas shrugged his shoulders meekly. "That doesn't mean a thing; Sora and Auron were able to defeat Cerberus when it was just the two of them without the Olympus Stone, I remember." Sora had already gone through the introductions, including the explanation about Naminé and Roxas.

Still clearly displeased, the hero mumbled, "The Heartless count here is terrible. I'm surprised that they haven't come up here yet."

"You never told us exactly what happened," pointed out Riku. T

Hercules nodded. "Right. Well, not too long ago, three of those strange Organization members came here. When I exited the arena after a match, I saw them in the lobby," he explained. "One of them had a scythe, the other had knives and could use electricity." Kairi, Naminé and Nalani had scooted down the bleachers to get a listen. "The last one was much younger than both of them, which was obvious even though the other two were hooded; she didn't care about being seen and had a keyblade. I thought she might know you, and seemed to, but she made it obvious she was not a friend." Somewhat near them, still on the arena's floor, Stefa mumbled something incoherent about her dislike for Reixka.

"So I got ready to take the three of them out, but the girl held out her keyblade and pointed it at that one spot in the wall where you said the heart of this world was. A beam of light shot into the wall, and, the next thing I knew, they were sending hordes of Heartless at me. They left the Coliseum, but Hades went and captured all of us, including Auron."

Frowning, Stefa said, "How did we not figure this out sooner?

"The world might have disappeared for a while?" suggested Kairi, "Who knows."

Sora appeared troubled. "They unlocked the keyhole to this world? What could Organization XIII be up to?"

"We need help," declared Nalani with a look at the others. "Hades said something about having that stone, didn't he? We just need the right kind of person to help us get it."

Riku shook his head. "Like who?"

"I know someone," an unfamiliar voice called from the lobby. A tall, skinny boy with fro-like dark brown hair in a t-shirt and baggy jeans entered the arena; he looked unusually laid back. Nalani and Stefa both gasped, and the boys assumed it was for a different reason than it actually was.

Sora, Riku, and Roxas summoned their keyblades while Hercules got into a fighting stance. "Wait!" Nalani jumped off of the bleacher and ran to join the stranger, who chuckled.

"Hey, Hawaii," he greeted with a small wave. Nalani's cheeks turned a little red as she scowled at the nickname.

Hercules narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Who are you?"

The boy only glanced at him for a moment before returning his gaze to Nalani, "Ceron. Where are we, in Greece or something?"

Naminé, clearly trusting Nalani's judgement, nodded. "You could say that."

After a moment or so of silence, Sora, Riku, and Roxas allowed their weapons to disappear. "I'm confused," remarked Sora, exasperated, "Why does Nalani know you and how can you help us?"

"I met her in the darkness."

Nalani frowned a little at Ceron. "He _saved_ me from the darkness," she corrected, to which he shrugged and smiled a little.

"And you can help how?" repeated Sora.

"I'm surprisingly stealthy. If you can distract, uh, Hades, then I can probably find that stone for you." This was a bargain they could not pass up, but who would be the bait?

Hercules answered the unasked question, "I'll distract Hades. I have a better chance at living through it than anyone else here."

"Alright, so Hercules can distract Hades, and, er, Ceron will get the stone." Roxas repeated with a nod. "Then what do the rest of us do?"

"That's simple; nothing," answered Ceron; no one liked that answer much.

Stefa pushed herself up with her right hand. "C'mon!"

"_You_ hurt your arm. I don't think you should back into the Underworld again anytime soon," pointed out Riku, smirking when she pouted, "But Nalani should go with Ceron."

Nalani blinked and pointed at herself. "Me?"

Riku nodded, "You."

"Great! Let's get cracking, then." Ceron disappeared into the lobby and Nalani looked back at Stefa. After receiving a reassuring nod, Nalani followed after him, as did Hercules.

When they reached the gates, Hercules made Nalani and Ceron stop. "First things first, can you fight, Ceron?"

"A long sword," he answered, pulling the blade out of a scabbard on his back.

Hercules nodded, clearly relieved that Ceron could defend himself, "Got it. Now, here's the plan. I'm going to go down into the Underworld; chances are that Pain and Panic will be wandering down there. If I'm not back in seven minutes, you'll know that it's safe to go down to Hades' room, deal?" Ceron and Nalani nodded immediately. Why waste their time following after Hercules, getting found by Hades, and having their asses kicked? "Seven minutes," he repeated before descending the steps.

With a groan, Ceron fell onto the steps and Nalani mimicked his actions. "I see that you really _did_ make it out of the darkness," he said in a conversational voice, "That's good."

"Yeah, but, to be honest, I was a little more worried about you," she stated without blushing though her heart was pounding so hard against her chest that she was shocked he couldn't hear it.

Ceron waved his hand. "A little bit of darkness never scared me," he informed her, gracing her with a rare grin.

"You know, I never really saw you smile quite so much in band," noted Nalani, and, finally, her cheeks did turn a little pink.

Ceron snorted. "With a band director like ours, can you _blame _me?" They both laughed.

"It's weird, though. You definitely gave me a different name in class," she remembered.

Shrugging and glancing down at his watch, he replied, "Ceron is my formal name; I gave you my nickname."

_'He gave me his nickname? I don't know if I should be offended or delighted by that,'_ mused Nalani."It's been about seven minutes. Let's go," he announced.

One of the first things that she noticed as they headed toward the Cave of the Dead was that the boat from earlier was missing. "Hercules must have gone into the Coliseum over there," she remarked, looking across the River Styx; sure enough, the coliseum's lights were blazing.

"Hopefully he can last against Hades. He looks strong enough, but he isn't a god, so..." Ceron muttered right before they entered the Cave. As they walked down it, Nalani realized that she'd much rather fly on Pegasus again, but it would look a little suspicious if Hades or one of his little spies saw them flying on the winged-horse. Well, alright, even going through the Cave of the Dead on foot was suspicious, but at least they were a little bit less noticeable.

As Hercules had promised, the amount of Heartless was dreadful but, at least, there weren't too many Nobodies. Ceron was surprisingly skilled with his long sword, and they reached the Valley much quicker than she had anticipated. "So far so good," declared Ceron in a cheerful voice that she had never heard him use before. Nalani reached forward and knocked on his head with her free hand; the look she received from him was priceless.

As if this was perfectly normal and his reaction was the one that was odd, she rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't need you to jinx us now that we're so far." He laughed at her, and she vaguely wondered if it was a good laugh or a she's-so-psycho laugh. Either way, she decided that she liked his laugh though, admittedly, the fact that he laughed more in the middle of the Underworld than he ever had in band class said much about the class.

They zigzagged up the odd path, defeating Heartless and Nobodies, until they finally reached the god's chambers. Hurriedly, they ran up the stairs, and were extremely relieved to find it empty. "Did Hercules ever say what that stone looks like?" Ceron asked as they began to look around the room.

Nalani chewed her lip as she thought back. "It's a little golden metal with a lightning bolt on it."

"That should be easy to find in a place like this," he said without sarcasm; it was true, the medal should have shone like a beacon.

She poked her head around the throne and spotted a small golden spec on the ground. "I think I found it." She announced, bending down to pick it up. Sure enough, it was a golden medal with a lightning bolt etched into it. "Someone's a little careless."

"When you rule over the dead, I think you're allowed to be," stated Ceron, smirking.

**XxX**

"When Nalani and Ceron come back with the stone, we should go to the Lock," decided Roxas.

Sora appeared troubled by this plan. "What about Herc? He's probably in the Underworld's coliseum, fighting Hades or something."

"C'mon, Sora," Kairi said with a smile as she sat beside him. "You said that Hercules is really strong. I bet he can hold off Hades until we come back with reinforcements."

"I'm a little worried about something," remarked Riku; it was the first time he had spoken since the others had left. "Sora, you said that that cave collapsed after your battle with Pete, so wouldn't it be unstable?"

Sora thought about this for a minute before shaking his head. "It only came down because we were fighting _Pete_ and his Heartless down there. Things got a little rowdy. If we don't have to do any fighting, we should be okay. And, besides, we only have to teleport ourselves out of there with the beam of light, anyway." Riku nodded in reply although he still didn't appear too convinced.

"You worry too much, Riku," said Stefa in a happy-go-lucky voice as she cradled her left arm into the air.

He raised an eyebrow at her before mumbling, "And for good reason."

Naminé settled on the bleacher closest to Stefa, who had returned to the ground, saying something about it being the most comfortable. "Give me your arm." With anyone else, Stefa would have fussed or outright refused but, with Naminé, she held out her left arm, wincing a little in the process. The cool tip of Chain of Memories touched her skin, "Curaga." Stefa was, admittedly, immediately reminded of Aerith as light green vines engulfed her body, healing her completely.

She winced a little in expectation as she bent her arm around, but it felt as good as new. Stefa managed a smile, "You're healing magic could rival Aerith's." Taking this as a huge compliment, Naminé smiled in thanks. "Could I ask you something? I... know it's different for you, but... When you were born, did you ever... hate people with hearts? When you found out about Kairi, did you hate her?"

Stefa felt odd for asking Naminé of all people that question; in her mind, the artist was not capable of such an awful emotion. And, much to her lack of surprise, Naminé shook her head. "I can't say I did. But, you know, it's different with Reixka. She had your heart for a while. That doesn't make her wanting to kill you right at all, but I suppose it could sort of shed a light on her feelings."

Roxas sat down beside Naminé as he joined in on their conversation. "I don't... think I ever hated Sora. In the alternate Twilight Town, I was upset, mostly because I figured out my time there was a lie, but I never hated Sora. I wanted to meet him."

Stefa sat up a little and leaned back on her forearms as she stared up at the sun. "So it's just my insane Nobody that hates me because of my insane heart; no surprises there."

Naminé nodded, but quickly explained, so that it did not seem she was being rude, "Your heart is contributing a lot to this. You didn't, after all, have a Heartless. Nearly everything about you is a mystery because of your heart."

Not for the first time, Stefa said, "Too bad the only one that understands best is dead."

**XxX**

Nalani and Ceron noticed a definite shift in their strength when they headed back for the Coliseum; they were able to defeat the Nobodies and Heartless much easier this time around. "This stone really _does_ work," noted Ceron with surprise as they headed in the direction of the Coliseum's staircase.

"Pfft. Well, what do you expect from the gods?" smirked Nalani, glancing at the Underworld's coliseum as they passed. Though the lights were still on, the boat was back.

"Wait just a minute!" shouted an obnoxiously loud voice. Ceron and Nalani looked around the Underworld and saw nothing.

"D-down here!" mumbled a weaker voice. This time, they looked down and saw a fat, pink and skinny, green devil-like creatures looking up at them.

Ceron raised his eyebrows. "Midgets?" He began to swing his leg in preparation for a kick.

"Wait!" screeched the pink creature. "I'm Pain!"

"A-and I'm P-P-P-Panic," stuttered the green one, who was trying to hide behind Pain. "D-don't hurt us."

EaKaze in hand, Nalani raised a fine eyebrow. "You're telling us your names... why?"

"What business do you have in the Underworld?" demanded Pain, pointing a finger at Ceron and Nalani; he tumbled across the ground as Ceron kicked him.

"It's not polite to point," said Ceron sourly. Panic squeaked and ran over to Pain to see if he was alright. Ceron then turned to Nalani. "Let's go before they decide to bite us, or something." Nalani did not argue as they ran the remainder of the way to the Coliseum.

**XxX**

Out of pure boredom, and due to the fact that she couldn't do much with her own, Kairi had begun to play with Naminé's hair. "When do you think they'll be back?" she complained as she started a small braid in the blonde's hair.

"Soon enough," answered Naminé with confidence. Stefa also seemed impatient as she groaned and rolled onto her stomach from where she was laying in the middle of the arena. Out of the three of them, Naminé would clearly make the best mother.

"Guys!" Nalani's voice echoed throughout the arena as she and Ceron appeared in the doorway of the lobby.

Kairi and Stefa bolted up. "They're back!"

"Did you get it?" asked Roxas, receiving his answer a second later when Ceron flung the stone at him. He held it up, and the entire group was engulfed in golden light; they instantly felt stronger.

Without leaving the lobby's entryway, Ceron asked, if not al little bored, "So are we going to the Lock now?"

As the others joined them, Nalani remarked, "We met two little devil things called Pain and Panic down there. They're Hades' servants or something, right?"

"Yeah," answered Sora, hesitating. "To be safe, then, and to save the time, we should use a portal to get there." He turned around to look at Naminé with some expectance and was instantly faced by something resembling a glare as she put her hands on her hips.

Roxas grinned a little from beside Riku. "Nam, can you please open up a portal?"

The unhappy expression was promptly replaced by her usual kind one, "Of course, Roxas." A black-purple swirling mass of darkness appeared beyond her hand; Sora rubbed the back of his head as he walked toward the portal.

A few minutes after, an identical portal appeared inside of the Lock. When Sora stepped out, he realized that the area was much larger than he had remembered. He scanned the area, locating the keyhole rock with ease, and summoned Ultima. "Let's go do some rescuing," he said to the others before taking a few steps closer to the lock.

Everyone followed him but, with the exception of Roxas, hung around a little in order to get a decent look at the odd cave. Stefa instantly froze in her tracks as something black caught her eye. "Wait a sec-!" She called, but only Naminé seemed to have heard her. A large black figure dropped from the ceiling, forcing everyone to jump away from the lock and separate.

The three heads faced them with snarls. "Well, the hunch about Cerberus seems to be correct," noted Nalani as everyone's weapons appeared. Cerberus began to stalk forward, saliva dribbling from two of the heads.

**XxX**

Hercules hit the ground and rolled over, once again fortunate enough not to have fallen into the dark crevice that surrounded the circular arena. Hades stood over him, laughing. "It seems that you, Blunder Boy, are losing your touch." He declared, holding a large blue fireball in his hand. "I guess I'm finally going to get you in the Underworld for good, but it's such a shame that you're fight has been a huge disappointment. Better a blow to your ego than to mine."

"Sir!" The annoying voice of Pain shouted as he and Panic appeared in puffs of smoke behidn Hades. For a moment, the fire on Hades' head turned orange, but it quickly reverted back to blue as he turned around to face his servants.

"_What?_" he asked in a dangerous voice that suggested any stupid statements may cost them their health.

"W-we t-think that the keyblade wielders, the mage, and the boy are heading for the Lock, s-sir," stuttered Panic, clenching his thin tail in his hand as he peered up at Hades with a fearful expression from behind Pain.

The flames on Hades' head became orange again and did not go away. "You waste my precious moment to kill Herk the Jerk in order to tell me _this_? It means nothing! Cerberus will take care of them, eat them all alive!" He returned to face the weak Hercules, who was still on the ground. "Now, where was I...?"

"Actually, sir, they might beat him pretty easily... You see, the mysterious boy and the mage girl had the Olympus Stone..." explained Pain as he and his counterpart prepared for the inevitable blow. Hades turned around, slowly, and glared at them.

His hair flared up as he took very menacing, small, steps toward them. "I thought I told you to get back to my chambers and take the stone?" His voice was quiet and slow.

"We were going to, but we decided to wait, just in case... To head someone off or something..." Pain tried to explain, but even his voice had turned meek.

"_**You decided to wait, huh?**_" Hades shouted, throwing the fireball at his pathetic servants instead of Wonder Boy.


	13. Survival in the Darkness

6.19.11: **Added a surprising amount to this chapter, including adding more to Stefa's... "inner struggle."**

**Disclaimer – Only own the plot and OCs.**

* * *

Though Kairi had found the three-headed something close to precious when he was asleep, the same could be said of him awake. The heads on the ends were foaming while the middle snapped its yellowing teeth together. Sora was standing a ways away from the dog, almost like he was waiting for something. He was counting on the others, who were attacking the snapping jaws, to serve as a distraction and, when two of the heads whimpered and fell to the ground, the Keyblade Master knew it was time.

He ran past the others and jumped at the creature, causing Kairi to gasp at his usual reckless behavior, "Sora!" Her face was set into a short-lived scowl. Sora jumped up and the middle head snapped at him first; Kairi's grip became so tight on Radiant Destiny that her knuckles turned white. Sora shoved Ultima into the jaws, and the other two heads picked themselves up and snapped at him. He quickly retrieved his keyblade and jumped, forcing the end heads to knock into each other with an audible slam. As gravity began to drag him back down, he sliced Ultima at the heads in a single swoop, causing Cerberus to collapse to the ground, dazed.

"Nice!" called Riku from somewhere behind as Sora did a backward flip and became familiar with the ground once more. The crowd of fighters closed in, and any innocent bystander might briefly feel sorry for the Underworld's guardian; It looked chaotic with everyone beating up on the dazed dog at once. With a loud roar, Cerberus regained himself and began to snap at all of those nearest him.

Ceron's long-sword became caught between the jaws of the middle head. The other two heads ignored the other fighters, moving in on their innocent victim, "Stupid Fluffy," he grumbled as he attempted to free his sword to no avail.

"Ceron, the other two heads!" warned Naminé.

Nalani reacted quickly, pointing her staff at the dog, "Gravira!" All three heads were forced to the ground by a dark purple bubble, and the sword nosily clattered to the cavern floor; Ceron flashed her a brief, appreciative grin as he grabbed his weapon and backed off a few paces. "That's funny; Hades didn't look like a huge man with a bushy beard to me..."

Cerberus pulled himself back up to his full height, shaking his three heads in what Stefa thought was a way to shake off the pain. A strange purple light began to emit from their mouths, and strange purple balls began to fall through the air like snow. "What are these?" Stefa said more to herself than anyone else as she held out a hand. When one of them hit her hand, she immediately wished she had moved; the pain was surprisingly excruciating. "Ouch."

Frowning, Stefa placed both hands on Shadow Heart and charged at the three heads a plan which, admittedly, could have been better planned. Cerberus, anticipating this, bowed one of his heads, and knocked Stefa back with it. She was able to stay on her feet for a moment or so before losing her balance and sliding backwards. Riku moved behind her and caught her, but the force was still enough to knock him onto his back. Kairi and Naminé grasped hands and closed their eyes. A white light emitted from their chests and hit the dog, forcing him back a little.

Nalani ran over to join them, "Stefa! Riku!" Stefa was lying on top of Riku, who was still on the ground; he held up a hand to show that they were alright. "Damn dog." Nalani made a u-turn, EaKaze raised high as she attempted to get closer to Cerberus; she needed to be in closer range if she wanted to hit.

"Wait, Nalani!" called Ceron, but the only thing she could really hear was the blood pounding in her ears. Cerberus was crouching a little, but she disregarded it as fatigue. Ceron cursed under his breath and ran to stop her. Once she was within a decent range, she finally stopped, but, before she could mutter the words, Ceron had tackled her out of the way just as Cerberus abruptly turned around; something that probably would have caused a decent amount of damage.

"Thundaga," she breathed, the wind knocked out of her, with EaKaze still raised. Lightning bolts rained over Cerberus. Saying the spell had temporarily allowed Nalani not to blush. She was lying on the ground with her arms spread out, and the taller Ceron was on top of her; she looked away as red flooded her cheeks.

"Are you two okay?" called Roxas as he stopped near them. When Ceron rolled off of the blushing Nalani, Roxas smirked. "Oh, yeah, you're definitely okay."

Nalani scowled, but the red refused to go away, "Shut up, Roxy." When Ceron rolled onto the ground, she also noticed a clear blush on his cheeks.

Completely ignoring the other boy, Ceron stood and helped Nalani to her feet. "Are you okay?" Before Roxas could make another snide comment, an eardrum-shattering scream filled the cave; something was going on at Cerberus' front that had Naminé fixated with a horrified stare. Stefa rolled off of Riku and the two of them headed after Ceron, Nalani, and Roxas to see what was happening.

The image was not pretty. Cerberus' middle head was bent over Kairi's arm, though, at least, the other two had been knocked out. As they drew nearer, they could see Kairi's arm was covered in nearly the same color as her hair. Sora slammed Ultima into the head, forcing Cerberus' blood-stained teeth to release Kairi, who fell into Sora's waiting arm. "Kairi!" shouted Riku and Roxas in unison, running forward to huddle with Sora and Naminé over the redhead.

Stefa and Nalani kept looking horrified, from Cerberus to Kairi; even Ceron had an expression of mingled fear. "Come on," he said, trying to regain their attention, "We'll have to distract Fluffy while they're tending to her." Slowly, the other two agreed, and they ran to head off Cerberus. The middle head was nearly knocked out; he just needed a bit of work. Ceron took care of that one, leaving Stefa and Nalani to tend to the other two awakening heads.

The end heads, apparently craving blood too, chomped at them in an attempt to draw some blood. Stefa sacrificed Shadow Heart in hopes of keeping her arm, and silently thanked her lucky stars that keyblades were so durable. Again, she thanked her stars that the other heads were distracted, for this particular one seemed quite content to keep Shadow Heart in its jaws. A flare of anger came over her. "Fucking let go!" she growled, slightly surprised when a black light exited her hands and knocked into the head. With a whimper, the head fell unconscious again. _'W-what the hell was that?'_

With some magic and a lot of poking the other head with the sharp points of her staff, Nalani fell the head on the right at the same time as Ceron took care of the center one. "He shouldn't need that many more hits before he's done for," noted Ceron before glancing back at the others. Apparently, Sora, Riku, Roxas, and Naminé had used all of their magic power to heal Kairi's arm; they smiled apologetically at the three fighting Cerberus. "But it might take longer if we're the ones who have to finish him," he added, sighing.

Stefa forgot her confusion over what had just happened for a moment as she pulled a megalixir out of her jeans' pocket. "Don't say I never did anything for you!" she said as everyone became less than tired again.

A large orb of gravity, cast by Nalani, surrounded Cerberus, who would have fallen down had he not already been on the ground. Ceron took a few steps back, not really wanting to awaken the ferocious beast. Shadow Heart was thrust into the air as Stefa prepared to assist in the magic casting. "Graviga!" She shouted at the same time as Nalani recast it. Two spheres of gravity engulfed Cerberus, but, somehow, it still wasn't enough. All six eyes opened as Cerberus slowly lifted himself upward, growling in a fashion that suggested the fight was far from over. Nalani continued to cast magic spells, Ceron went back to attacking with his long-sword, and Roxas, Riku, and Sora ran forward to start attacking with their keyblades again. Stefa took a few steps backward as Naminé and Kairi came up beside her. They huddled together for a minute, discussing something.

"Die you stupid thing!" exclaimed Ceron, losing his patience as he slashed at one of the front legs.

Apparently, whatever Stefa had done had not been missed by her fellow princesses; the three of them nodded as one before Naminé and Kairi grasped hands and the familiar white light appeared between them. Stefa called off her keyblade as she put her hands to her chest, focusing on the extreme anger she had felt before, as a black light began to glow around her body. _'This is a little more intense than before, maybe I should...' _Her train of thought was broken off as something in the back of her mind urged her to keep doing what she was doing.

"Light!" cried Naminé and Kairi as the white light sprang at Cerberus again.

A half-second after that, Stefa mumbled, "Darkness." The blackness mixed with the light and headed straight for the dog, hitting him square in the chest. Riku, Sora, and Roxas landed one more sweep of their keyblades at the same time as Nalani cast another graviga spell.

Cerberus let loose a deafening howl, a sure sign of their victory. Weakly, the dog jumped over the crowd of attackers, causing the ground to rumble, and charged out of the Lock. Out of energy from their magic, the girls collapsed to the ground.

Ceron reached Nalani first, dumping a mega-ether over her head. "I'd hate to be on the opposite end of these four, wouldn't you? Casting gravity spells like a boss, huh, Hula Girl?"

Nalani sighed at the nickname as she propped herself up on her elbows. "We beat him!" she said with a proud grin as EaKaze disappeared in a flash of orange light.

'_Darkness, there lies your power, Stefa,' _the voice that had told her to use the attack said. Was she going crazy? It was starting to look that way. Riku helped her stand, and she said nothing, simply smiled at him. Naminé was not fooled; she threw her a look that clearly said: _'Don't use the darkness too much.'_

"That was pretty cool," admitted Kairi, if not a little sheepishly, as Sora helped her stand.

Riku scowled, "But dangerous." Stefa realized that using the darkness often was a bad idea, but it would be an even worse idea around Riku; her smile turned meek. Sora and Roxas nodded their agreement as they towed Kairi and Naminé toward the center of the Lock with the others right behind them. A beam of light shot from Ultima's tip and entered the rock, shattering it, revealing a large ray of light. Sora and Roxas stepped into the light, easing their hesitant girlfriends behind them before disappearing. Riku and Ceron exchanged a brief, concerned, glance before they followed suit; Nalani and Stefa joined after.

The cavern they reappeared in was not very big, and there was a very claustrophobic feel as they piled in on top of another. It was filled with mist and, other than the dark blue sharp walls, there was nothing to see. Sora and Roxas were already in the works of releasing their friends from their chains. An older man wearing a red cloak, a beautiful woman with auburn hair, and a short and angry-looking billy goat creature were all chained together. After a few weak fire spells, the chains shattered.

"Sora!" called the woman with obvious relief. She stood and embraced him in a tight hug.

Sora grinned. "Meg! It's nice to see you again." A little behind them, Kairi was looking away with a look of jealousy clear on her face, despite the fact that she knew Meg was Hercules' sweetheart. Meg released him, taking in Kairi's expression with a raised eyebrow. "We have time for introductions later."

"Of course... Wait. Where's Wonder Boy? Don't tell me Hades still has him."

Sora assured her, "We rescued him," but he would not tell her where he was.

"You're hesitating," she noted, a concerned expression on her face.

The man in the red robes joined them. "Hercules is strong, he'll be fine."

"Auron," acknowledged Sora with a grin.

The man, Auron, nodded his head a little in greeting, "Nice to see you again. I was wondering when you would be returning."

Sora's grin became sheepish. "We had our obstacles."

"How can you be a Hero and have obstacles?" demanded the goat-man.

Nalani smirked, "Sora, an official hero? He can't even drive a Gummi Ship!"

Sora tried to ignore her, "Phil, just as stiff as ever, I see." In response, the goat punched his arm in greeting. At least, the only part of Sora's arm that he could reach from his short height.

"Sora," Riku's voice was slightly authoritative as he reminded, "We have to move if we're going to help Hercules."

Meg looked from Sora to Riku with a displeased expression, "Help Hercules with what?" Naminé recognized Riku's words as her cue and summoned a portal. Auron, Phil, and Meg stared at Sora with accusation.

Sora threw up his hands in surrender. "Don't worry! Does she look like she can be evil?" He nodded at Naminé who raised an annoyed eyebrow at him. "That's not to say she isn't strong or anything," he added at the murderous look.

Meg finally smiled, "Smart addition, Sora."

"Go through the portal, and we'll explain everything back at the Coliseum," promised Roxas.

When they returned to the Coliseum, Sora gave Kairi, Naminé, and Stefa some time to recuperate as he told Meg, Phil, and Auron about the last two years. Then, he filled them in about recent events so both the story and introductions were finished faster. "So Wonder Boy is still fighting Hades? He's been doing it too long, you have to go and help him."

Stefa rubbed the back of her neck. "The last time we tried to fight Hades, it didn't end well."

"You've got the Olympus Stone now," stated Phil, "Which means that you're at your full power now."

"I shall assist," decided Auron. "It's been too long since I have fought at Sora's side." Naminé summoned yet another portal.

With a reluctant sigh, Meg remarked, "Phil and I will stay here. Bring back Wonder Boy in one piece. All of you."

Sora pounded his chest with his fist. "You don't have to worry about us."

**XxX**

Hercules was in a bad spot, kneeling on the floor and panting. Things were looking grim, and he was unsure how much longer he would last; one more attack from Hades could be it. "I mean it this time, Blunder Boy, you're through," announced Hades with a fireball so large that he needed two hands. "Say goodnight." He hurled the fireball at Hercules, who didn't even bother to block it.

A metallic sound rang in the empty arena as a keyblade reflected the hit. "C'mon, Herc, you can't really give up that easily," said Sora, smiling. The arena was suddenly overcrowded with people; his friends had finally come to his aid.

Nalani shook her head, also smiling, "And you call yourself a hero."

"Here." Naminé's soft voice spoke as she opened a mega-potion bottle, healing Hercules completely.

He stood, grinning at his allies. "Thank you, guys."

"No sweat," answered Roxas. "Sorry we were late, we had a little distraction."

Hades' calm was shattered his blue gave way to orange. "This can_not_ be!" Pain and Panic, both of whom were burnt, cowered on the sidelines. "I'll teach you to make a fool of the god of the Underworld – and welcome you all back when you're _**dead **_by my hands!"

"_No_ one wants to be in _your_ hands," stated Riku in his smug voice as he pointed Way to Dawn.

Hades narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Maybe it would just be better if I were to drag you all into the _darkness_!" The room shifted before their eyes, becoming nearly completely black as the god was surrounded by a purple aura. "Now we'll see how you do on my _real_ turf."

Stefa felt less than worried than she knew. She certainly felt the fear but, for the most part, she felt excited. _'Why?' _she demanded. She squeezed herself a little closer to Riku as a voice laughed at her in the back of her head. Frowning, she put her free hand to her temples. _'Good God, what's happening to me?' _

When Hades threw his fire balls, they were a new color, orange and black. If they were anywhere near as lethal as they looked, then they were in a lot of trouble; the group separated in half as they separated. Stefa tried to ignore the excited pounding of her chest as she began to feel the urge to _help _Hades. _'Your heart is weak. Trust me, Stefa. Trust me like you did all those years ago...' _The voice said to her. She looked around, but no one had spoken; no even appeared to hear it. She shook her head as she took a few steps away from her friends and the fight.

"Watera!" Nalani was pointing her staff carefully at Hades as he swept around the area, attacking various people. Her water spell came out like a geyser and put out the flames on his head. She did not hold back a laugh at his ridiculous appearance, _'That is a definite plus.'_

Not using their keyblades, Naminé and Kairi had decided light would work much better in their situation. When they combined their light again, it was significantly larger than it had been before. It was large enough to engulf Hades whole. Hercules used his own light, summoning Aura Spheres and allowing Sora and Roxas to knock them at Hades. Meanwhile, Riku, Auron, and Ceron triple-teamed the god. "Why does it seem every time we fight this guy, we're always at a disadvantage?" mumbled Nalani as she cast Gravira on Hades.

Kairi giggled, "because we can't always be that lucky." She and Naminé sent another ray of light at Hades, and he howled at pain.

Naminé glanced around. "Why isn't Stefa helping us?"

Kairi's eyebrows knitted together. "Here's a better question, where _is_ Stefa?" They looked behind them to find the girl in question kneeling on the ground, apparently fighting with herself. "Nalani!"

Nalani did not spare the fight a second thought as she ran to her best friend's side. "Stefa, what's wrong?"

Stefa swallowed and put a hand to her chest. "It's too hard to keep down the darkness in my heart." Even as she spoke, the voice was in her head, _'Trust me, Stefa. Trust me.' _Deciding that telling Nalani she was hearing voices would make her no less concerned, she said nothing.

"I hate being useless," grumped Nalani, angered that there was really nothing she could do for her friend. "It makes me feel... well, useless." She stared at the 'ground' thinking about what could be done... And then it came to here. "Stef, you said that Riku helped you out of the darkness, right?" Said girl nodded in reply. "Riku!"

Riku abandoned Ceron and Auron to deal with Hades, and joined them; Nalani didn't need to explain, he just knew. Likely because he recognized the expression on Stefa's face from his own time fighting the darkness. "Go help the others," he said, looking Nalani square in the eye. "Your boyfriend's probably mad that I left him."

Nalani's cheeks only brightened a little as she stood. "Shut up. Are you sure?"

"You can trust me with her," he assured her.

"Take care, Stef." said Nalani before she rushed back into the fray shouting, "You _want some_, _Hades?_"

Riku chuckled quietly before taking Stefa's hands within his own and pulling her up. "Don't worry, Stefa, I'll be your light," he promised, pressing his lips to hers.


	14. A Wasted Return

6.19.11**: I hope no one's offended by my slightly sexist remark below; it's meant to be a joke, I swear. :D I realize that I've called Kairi's keyblade an array of different names in this story, but the stated name in the first story was Radiant Destiny. It's **_**finally **_**gotten an official name, but I am not changing it. Sorry. xD**

**A/N: ** **Disclaimer-I. Don't. Own. Kingdom. Hearts. Kay.**

* * *

The realm of darkness was a curious place. Admittedly, maybe it was only curious because so few people ever gave it much a thought. It is always said that there is light in the darkness, but never the other way around. Jewel's Grove was one of those light in the darkness places, though it was much more dark than it was light. Shadows and Heartless seemed to hang around every corner, the world was so seeped into darkness, yet the only people there who seemed to realize it were Stefa, Ceron and Nalani.

Stefa didn't know why she was thinking about such a thing as she struck Hades with Shadow Heart, but, for some odd reason, the thought came to mind. Hades prepared to strike her with a blast of fire after she jumped away, but Nalani's water spell took care of that. _**'Where's the use in fighting? There's no point.' **_The familiar, bodiless voice echoed within her mind. Though she did not know why, knowing the voice had no outside source, she glanced around; no one had spoken and, even if they had, the voice did not belong to one of her friends. _**'If you would trust in the darkness, I could help you.' **_She shook it off as she watched Ceron thrust his sword into the god's side.

Stefa joined him, pressing her keyblade into Hades' back, causing him some serious discomofrt and hindering him from moving. As he was held in place, a light spell pierced one side while several blizzard spells pierced the other. "_Enough_!" he bellowed, sending out a blaze of fire that knocked Ceron and Stefa away.

"What's wrong, Hades? You can't even fight in your own element?" Hercules asked in the deep voice that heroes always use when taunting their enemies.

Hades flames burst a little as he became increasingly annoyed. "That's enough out of you, Blunder Boy. Feel the heat!" He launched another orange and black fireball at Hercules, but the attack was deflected quite easily by Auron and his katana, the result of which was Hades being hurt by his own attack.

Nalani backflipped behind Hades and, pointing EaKaze at his back, cried, "Wateraga!" The water exited the staff like a geyser, knocking the god flat onto his back.

Ceron flashed her a brief smile. "Wow, Hula girl, you sure are good with water, I guess that isn't so surprising, though."

"Would you _stop_ calling me that?" she asked with mock-anger.

Hercules called upon two more Aura spheres and Roxas and Sora hurled them the god's way. "This should make things less annoying," noted Roxas as he knocked Hades into the air with Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He knocked him further and further into the air until gravity reclaimed his hold on him. Then, he knocked the god into the floor of the arena the way a volleyball player might spike a volleyball.

Hades hit the ground with a loud thud and lay there, unmoving, until the curious group finally decided to move in closer. "He really wasn't that much harder than he was last time we fought him in the Coliseum," remarked Sora, mostly to Hercules and Auron.

Naminé took a step backward, "I don't like this."

Kairi nodded her agreement as she called, "Guys, I really don't think that he would go down so easily..."

Riku looked back at them with a smirk. "Don't be so paranoid."

"Mm, I kind of agree with them," replied Nalani, keeping her staff in a defensive position. Just when it seemed obvious that no one was going to listen, a wall of fire sprang around the arena, trapping them all inside.

Stefa sighed, holding Shadow Heart a little higher, "Here's his last shot, I guess." Admittedly, it was becoming a little easier to ignore the relentless voice in her head, but the temptation to turn to the darkness was still quite high. Riku, Sora, Roxas, Ceron, Auron, and Hercules (being men) leapt at the God right away in the hopes that his health was almost depleted. **(A/N: And no one can say anything because the only people who really review are female. x3)**

"Why don't you wait and _plan_ your attacks?" Kairi and Nalani reprimanded in unison as the guys teamed up on Hades. Kairi sighed, flipped her hair to the best of her ability, and held out her right hand, "Radiant Destiny." In a flash of light, the familiar flowery keyblade appeared in her and for the first time in the fight; Naminé mirrored her action, only Chain of Memories materialized in her hand without speaking a word.

**XxxxxX**

Reixka was exhausted as she collapsed onto her comforting bed, face first, and did not move from that spot. As of late, she had done nothing but unlock keyholes and fight the occasional good-doer in each world that they had visited; it was nothing complicated, really, but it was draining. Xemnas finally allowed her to take a break from business and do as she pleased for a time since the Organization was way ahead of the keyblade wielders, who had yet to reseal a single one of the unlocked worlds.

The break was both good and bad. Bad because Reixka was bored out of her skull, but it was good because she wasn't constantly running around different worlds and getting assaulted by Stefa's memories. She now officially had the keyhole locations of several worlds permanently drilled into her mind. It took a while, but she came to the realization that a break meant she could go wherever she wanted. '_Maybe I should go to some soothing world.'_ With a wry smile, she thought, '_If that bores me, Xemnas gave me permission to wreak havoc in any world I choose.'_

Reixka rolled onto her back as she thought about the thing that was truly bugging her. The people who had been accompanying her to each world should have, in theory, gotten their own break. After all, her objective was to unlock worlds, and their objective was to make sure no one stopped her. Since she was no longer unlocking worlds, why did no one else laze around? Zexion had explained to her that Xemnas had the others doing other work, but no one would tell her what. Something very strange was going on.

"Destroy their worlds?" A male said from somewhere outside of her room; it sounded like Xigbar was a ways up the hallway. She rolled off of her bed and crept to the door to get a better listen. Xigbar let out a low whistle before laughing. "That will definitely accomplish _something_, but I'm not thinking it'll be what the Superior wants." She wondered who he could possibly be talking to unless, of course, he was speaking with himself...

"It shall break them down," pointed out Xaldin's, who sounded highly amused. "_That's_ what the Superior wants."

"So, is he taking down just the two worlds, or...?" Xigbar's voice became louder; they must have been passing her door.

"He might take out Twilight Town, too. You know," Xaldin paused, probably to smirk, "to get to Thirteen and the witch." There was another moment of silence before they both laughed. They began to talk some more, but they were drifting so far down the hallway that she could no longer make out their words.

Reixka remained standing by the door, her lips steadily pressing into a thin line, "So is _that_ what Xemnas is having the rest of the Organization do? Destroy their worlds... If they were talking about the once-Nobodies, then he must have meant the Keyblade Master and Stefa, too..." She entertained the thought of a destroyed Jewel's Grove but, admittedly, it did not sit well with her, not even a little. "Damn, these stupid memories..."

**XxxxxX**

Ultima and Way to Dawn flew away from their owners hands and hovered in the air together before emitting their strong lights. Hades howled in pain as the last bit of Eternal Session finished him off. The wall of fire crackled and died, and a flash of white light blinded the group temporarily...

...And then they were back. Hades disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke as soon as they returned to the Underworld's coliseum. Pain and Panic, not wanting to be beat up by the group of heroes, also disappeared in two puffs of smoke. "That was surprisingly easy," said Sora, allowing his keyblade to disappear, and placing his hands behind his head. "You know, considering we were in some sort of darkness."

Auron nodded his agreement. "Yes, but let's returne to the Coliseum before Hades changes his mind..." The suggestion was unanimous, and the group made haste as they disappeared into Naminé's portal.

The portal returned the exhausted group to the lobby. As if Meg and Phil could sense their return, the two ran out of the arena to join them. Hercules and Meg shouted each other's names, and the two shared a brief, romantic embrace before his lips touched hers. Though the girls were polite enough to look away, the men continued to stare on, some with smirks on their faces. When they parted, Hercules had a blush on his cheeks as he turned to ask, "So, Sora, do you remember where that keyhole is?"

It was more of a question that tested Sora's intelligence rather than one that required an actual answer. Sora pounded his chest, "Of course." Ultima returned to his hand as his eyes scanned the golden wall for the light... But he quickly realized that the pedestal was, once again, blocking the keyhole. "Isn't _that_ convenient?" He took a step forward to push it, but stopped abruptly when Auron pushed aside the stone with ease.

"Think of it as my gratitude for rescuing me," remarked the samurai.

Naminé, sitting atop a pedestal on the opposite side of the room, tilted her head to the side. "I thought helping us in the battle was the thank you?"

Auron smirked. "That was obligatory."

A beam of light entered the spot in the wall, locking it instantly. Sora looked to the others as his weapon disappeared. "This time, when we kill off the Organization, they better _stay_ dead; I don't want to have to come back and seal these keyholes for a third time," he sighed, causing everyone to laugh.

**XxX**

"You know, sometimes, I think that Elie should have stayed with the Organization," remarked Stefa sometime later when she, Ceron, Riku, and Nalani were boarding their gummi ship.

She knew that Riku could come up with an array of reasons and probably only asked for the sake of entertainment. "Why's that?"

Nonetheless, she looked at him as if the answer was obvious. "Then we would know what the Organization was doing."

"That _would_ be helpful, yes," he agreed.

Nalani shrugged a little. "They would probably have figured out, sooner or later, that Elie was feeding us information, though, especially considering she did it before."

"Hey, I have a question," blurted out Ceron, his tone out of character; the others faced him with confused expressions. "Can we go back to Jewel's Grove? I'd kind of like to see if my family is okay." The expressions on Nalani and Stefa's faces lit up.

"I want to go see how my family's doing, too!" agreed Nalani. "They weren't exactly... Pleased when I left in a hurry last time."

"Me too!" added Stefa.

Riku chuckled quietly and nodded. "Sure. Naminé and Roxas were saying something about wanting to go visit Twilight Town for a little bit. I wonder if Kairi, Sora, and I should go back to the Islands? Our parents were more than pissed when we left."

"Go for it," said Ceron. "We won't be gone for long, just long enough to do a little bit of visiting."

"Alright. I'll drop you guys off," agreed Riku, "and come back later."

**XxX**

The idea had been greatly agreed on by Naminé and Roxas, who were itching to return to Twilight Town. Kairi and Sora had been a bit reluctant, though, explaining that they should be checking other worlds to make sure things were okay; it was very clearly a cover for the fact that they feared, if they returned home, they'd never be allowed to leave again. Instead of Riku, Sora, and Kairi returning home, they decided to go to Disney Castle instead to see if the King knew what was going on.

Riku had, as promised, dropped Stefa, Ceron, and Nalani off at Jewel's Grove; Likewise, Sora had dropped Naminé and Roxas off at Twilight Town. Nalani kicked at a stray rock on the ground as she and Ceron headed in the general directions of their homes. Though Stefa lived near them, she had insisted on doing something else first and split in an opposite direction. Rain was, as was the usual for this world, falling from the sky viciously, but they were so adjusted that they didn't care.

"Are you coming over?" asked Ceron with a smirk; Nalani was friends of both him and his brother.

Nalani shook her head, "Nah, I should probably go check in with my own family."

"Gotcha, well, where should we meet up at?"

Nalani became thoughtful. "See if you can pull away in an hour or two and come to the park near my house; it's just about a street from here." Ceron agreed before disappearing down the next street. "He still doesn't get it," she mumbled with a sad smile before taking the rest of the walk to her house up to a run.

Stefa walked along the familiar black bike trail, realizing just how long it had been since she had last returned. Weeds that had grown to the sizes of monsters sprouted out from the various cracks in the faded tar path. "Looks like this entire area has been given up as a loss cause," she noted as she eyed more weeds growing between the fence posts.

She continued to follow the path, noting that the empty field beside it had filled up with rain water. When she was little, Stefa had always felt a strange sense of pleasure when it filled up with water during storms; of course, that was probably because she always wanted to swim in it. If she really wanted to, she could now; there was no one to tell her different. _'What a weird thought. No mom to yell at me or tell me how stupid I'm acting.' _The thought came to her at the perfect time as she stopped near a grey-colored fence with tall grass and out of control weeds. She looked up to see her old bedroom window, with a giant hole in it.

'_Now would be the perfect time for an Organization member to come kidnap me,' _she realized as she glanced around, but she did not feel in any immediate power. With a shrug, she continued until the path dead ended at a rusty fence. Deciding that she really did not want to swim in the water, she edged along the fence to reach the cave looming on the other side of the field.

Nalani had been, in a word, trampled when she entered her house. Her parents covered her with hugs and kisses, and even her sister squeezed her so tightly that she had been willing to bet that her ribs would crack. In order to really welcome her daughter home, Nalani's mother had hurried off to the kitchen to make the best dish she could manage. Although she didn't want to disrupt the calm, Nalani knew that she had to tell her family that she would be leaving so soon. In the short time she had returned to Jewel's Grove before, she had enough time to explain to her everything the King told her, but she doubted that they would take the fact that she was now smack in the middle of all the action with Stefa would cheer them.

"Heartless? That's what those little black things are called?" asked her sister for the umpteenth time.

Nalani rubbed her temples a little, simply assuming that her sister was trying to be difficult. "Yes, for the last and final time, Heartless are – Wait, what do you mean?" It sounded like her sister was speaking from personal experience. "Oh, right. You probably saw them last time, when Jewel's Grove was almost destroyed."

Her sister, however, shook her head. "I saw them just the other day when I went out. There were so many that I had to turn back and go home." Nalani fell into silence as she tried to comprehend this. The Heartless were _back_? She had assumed that they would've gone away after taking Stefa's heart...

"I see them all over the place when I go to work," added her mother.

"And white creatures seem to be with them a lot, too," recalled her father. This was crazy, her family was talking about the Heartless and Nobodies like they were wild animals.

Nalani jumped off of the bar's stool. "This isn't good!" Out of reaction, EaKaze appeared in her hand, and her family stared at her with a mixture of shock, awe, and fear. "I'm sorry that I'm leaving so soon, but I have to go warn Ceron and Stefa!" She called over her shoulder as she ran out of the room.

Nalani's parents cried in protest while her sister looked amused, _'Ceron got sucked into this too, huh?'_

Ceron had been reasonably surprised by his family's reaction to his return. His parents had hugged him a _lot_ and even his older brother seemed to have missed him. It was a little unnerving for them to take the news so easily, but he had only been more surprised when he learned that a huge number of Heartless and Nobodies were roaming around Jewel's Grove. His mother hadn't wanted to let him go when he made to leave, but his father assured her that Ceron knew what he was doing. Ceron only left after promising he'd come back to visit them.

When he left his house and returned to where he and Nalani had separated, he was surprised to see her running like a maniac toward him, very early. Unless she knew about what was going on, too. "So, Heartless and Nobodies are roaming around here?" He guessed as she doubled over near him, panting like crazy.

Nalani nodded her head vigorously. "We have to go get Stefa and find this keyhole so that it can be sealed," she said between breaths. The rain had finally stopped falling, but the clouds were still dark and ominous in the sky.

"We don't have to worry about that," he replied as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. Sure enough, Stefa was running to meet them with Shadow Heart already in her hand.

"Do you-?" she began to ask, but Stefa cut her short by nodding in reply.

"We have to find that keyhole and quick. With the amount of Heartless here, they could destroy the world." Lipstick covered her face, and she smelled somewhat like Axe cologne.

Ceron raised an eyebrow as he looked her over. "What happened to you?"

"You'd be attacked by your family in the same fashion, too," Stefa began darkly, "if they had believed that there was no way in hell for you to get your heart back. I guess they weren't quite so confident in the abilities of my friends. The story was a fun explanation, but not _nearly_ as fun as when I told them I had to leave. Kath grabbed me by the legs when I was almost out the door." She bent over and pulled up her jean legs a little bit. Sure enough, there were nail marks imprinted in her skin.

"Wow." Nalani fought back the urge to laugh because she knew how sad the situation was.

"Onto another subject," Ceron began as Stefa drew to her full height. "Where do we think the keyhole is?"

"Actually, that's why I wanted to go to the park," answered Nalani. "I thought it might be near Woodchip Mountain."

"Woodchip Mountain?" echoed Ceron as Stefa uncharacteristically squealed with delight; she had not been to that place in over two years.

"Good call, Nala."

Some minutes later found the trio climbing, quite literally, a huge mountain of woodchips. Ceron, being less experienced at it than the other two, continuously slipped and tripped on their way up. "Where do you think it could be?" Stefa asked, looking around as if the keyhole would jump out and dance the Macarena. She had seen keyholes before but, every time, someone told her where it was, or pointed it out to her.

"You're the keyblade wielder. Why not take out Shadow Heart and see if it... I don't know, shoots out a beam of light, or starts to act oddly?" suggested Nalani. Stefa nodded and recalled the keyblade, but it made no movements.

"I think you were wrong about this." Ceron grumbled, slightly annoyed at the fact that he kept slipping all over while Nalani and Stefa navigated with ease.

As they reached the top of the mound, Nalani snapped, "Well, I don't see you making any suggestions." The three of them looked around, hoping to find something that stuck out or was off in a way that would suggest the keyhole was there.

"Don't you think it's a little bit odd that we haven't met a single Heartless or Nobody when everyone said they've seen so many?" asked Stefa suspiciously.

Nalani and Ceron both nodded. "It is weird." Nalani and Stefa walked down the mountain side and stopped on the gravel ground; Ceron slid ungracefully and rolled onto the ground.

"I would have been willing to bet that keyhole was in the trailer," sighed Nalani as she threw a rock into a pond before them, "if the trailer hadn't disappeared."

Stefa sighed, "Who would have expected that old thing to leave this place after all these years?" Nalani sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, where to now?" Ceron asked, uncharacteristically impatient.

Stefa shrugged. "I guess we could search around my old neighborhood. I mean, all of the houses are boarded up and whatnot, so maybe it's there?"

"It's worth a shot," agreed Nalani. "I just can't believe it's not here."

As they returned to Stefa's old neighborhood, Ceron wondered, "What's up with this weather?" Both girls sent him looks that questioned his sanity.

"Ceron, it's _always_ stormy here," reminded Stefa.

Ceron shook his head and gestured to the purple, cloud-filled sky. "But the clouds usually go away right away, and yet they're still here a half an hour later."

"And they don't look too promising, either," mumbled Nalani.

Stefa just shrugged it off. "We can worry about the tripolar weather later. Right now we need to find that keyhole." By her tone, it seemed she had come up with something. "I think the keyhole might be in that cave by the trees where we used to play at when we were little."

Nalani nodded her agreement, "That place always _was_ weird."

**XxX**

"So you guys went here as kids?" asked Ceron, clearly amused as he looked over the drawings and writing on the cavern walls. Unlike Woodchip Mountain, he had been able to navigate himself perfectly against the fence to get to the cave.

The other two ignored him as Nalani asked, "Anything?" Stefa was impatiently swinging Shadow Heart against a piece of wood that suspiciously resembled a door. It was not out of her thinking the door was the keyhole at this point; it was mostly out of hate.

"Nothing," came her sour reply as she called off her keyblade. Both girls rounded on Ceron, staring at him with annoyance. "You make a suggestion now, smart aleck," growled Stefa.

Ceron scratched his head and shrugged, "Beats me." Stefa and Nalani sighed as he turned and exited the cave.

Nalani bent down over a small section of the wall, placing a steadying hand there. "Remember these drawings, Stef?" There was an adorable, chibi version of her drawn the cave wall by orange chalk. "Quince did this one," she remembered, laughing.

Stefa smiled and nodded despite the fact that her heart constricted a little at his name, "Yeah."

"Shit!" Ceron's voice exclaimed from outside. They shared a confused glance before running outside to join him, but they could not run too far. Had they surged straight out of the cave, they would have fallen into the purple vortex below. About fifteen feet away was part of the land that had the water-filled pit and houses. Stefa gasped quite audibly.

"What's going on?" demanded Nalani as she summoned EaKaze.

Hanging above them was a large black and red vortex. "This... is what a world looks like before it's destroyed and sent to the End of the World," murmured Stefa, her tone laced with disbelief as she recalled what Sora had told her.

"Wh-what?" Nalani and Ceron exclaimed in unison, staring at Stefa with the same disbelief that she felt. The gravity pull from the vortex was strong, and, without anything to grab onto, they were whisked into the sky and toward the vortex.


	15. Separation

Where Nalani awoke was somewhere she was sure she hadn't fallen asleep; wait, she had _never_ fallen asleep. A voice was talking to her, but it sounded distant. Finally, her eyes fluttered open, and she was staring up at a _lion_. His fur was an orange color except for his chest which was cream. His pupils were large, and what little of his irises could be seen was red. The way he held his posture said something; he seemed to hold himself with some sort of nobility.

But how could a lion be noble? Nalani slowly tried to sit up until she realized that she couldn't. "Are you alright?" His voice wasn't very deep, but he was definitely older.

_'Did a lion just... __**speak**__ to me?' _She wondered as she rolled over and stood, but she felt off. Instead of standing on two tall legs, Nalani seemed to be standing on four. _'...Huuuuh?'_ She turned her head around to get a look at herself. Her height had been cut in more than half, and reddish-brown _fur _was covering her body. Thinking she might faint, but gaining a hold on herself, she turned back toward the noble lion.

"Where am I?" She heard herself ask; at least her voice hadn't changed.

Something like relief seemed to wash over the lion's face, "The Pride Lands. I was out looking for my daughter, but I found you instead. What's your name?"

"Nalani," she replied a little hesitantly, "Yours?"

"I am King Simba." '_That explains why he's standing so tall.' _Nalani felt like shock had slapped her in the face and though she didn't know much about royalty, she did know that you were supposed to bow. Nalani gingerly bent her head and pushed out her front paws so that she resembled someone making an attempt at a bow. Simba roared a laugh. "The way you react kind of reminds me of a friend of mine. Three, actually," he added in afterthought with a smile. The _lion _was smiling. "You don't have to bow, it's alright."

A thought flew through her head. _'Sora, Donald, and Goofy traveled to many worlds,' _Leon's voice repeated in Nalani's mind. _'There was Olympus Coliseum, Wonderland, Deep Jungle, Beast's Castle, Land of the Dragons, Monstro, Pride Lands, and many more.'_

"Sora?"

He nodded, pleasantly surprised. "That's him. I haven't seen him in two years..." Simba paused. "We have a common friend then, huh? Obviously you got here in a different way... You look a wreck, what happened to you?"

Nalani mulled that over. Something had happened, but what? Her mind was foggy. "I left a cave in a different world," she said, slowly, as she tried to jog her memory, "and then I was sucked into a vortex." Ceron. Stefa. Jewel's Grove, "...Oh, no. The world, it... ended."

**XxxxxX**

"Yoo-hoo!" The voice of a young girl reached Ceron's ears, sounding like she was just over him. His eyes slowly opened and the blurriness faded enough for him to make out the image of a blonde girl in a pale blue dress standing hovering over him. All of the flowers, grass, trees, and other plants surrounding them were gigantic. She smiled at the sight of his consciousness. "Whatever are you doing in the world of Wonderland?" she asked, interest in her voice; her accent was very British.

Ceron rubbed the back of his head. He felt like he had been hit by a truck, "Wonderland? Where in the name of video games is Wonderland?"

"It's just beyond the rabbit hole," answered the girl as if it were obvious.

Ceron stared at her for a long minute. "You're on crack, aren't you?"

"_Excuse_ me?" She demanded, clearly outraged. This girl was young in body, but not in mind. When Ceron didn't say anything more, she sighed. "My name is Alice. Wonderland is a familiar home to me, for I haven't seen my own in days."

"Ceron," he introduced himself.

Alice considered him with intrigue as she seated herself on a log. "It's not often that we get strange visitors here. What are you doing here?"

Ceron shrugged. "I was in my world, a vortex sucked me up, and here I am." He was surprisingly calm about it, but there was no real need to get bent out of shape. After all, Stefa and Nalani had been on their own, separate journeys long before.

Alice, however, did not handle the news quite so calmly. She clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped quietly, "Oh, my! That's not very good, now is it?"

He shrugged it off as he glanced around. There were particularly large roses facing him with glares. Maybe he had hit his head, or something. "What kind of world is this, anyway?"

"A very illogical one," sighed the girl.

"_That_ I can understand." Ceron opened his mouth to ask her how to get out, then closed it. How on Earth would she know? She had already admitted that she couldn't return to even her own home.

One of the red roses began to speak. "You couldn't possibly be a dear and escort this precious weed home, could you?" Alice frowned at the rose, mirroring the dislike.

"Apparently the roses here are like teenage girls back at school," noted Ceron as he unsheathed his long-sword and turned his attention back to Alice. "You haven't been seeing any weird white or black creatures, have you?"

"Heartless, you mean?" She replied with a small smile. "Oh, yes, many. I have also spotted a few white creatures here and there, but I just figured them to be part of Wonderland's illogical creatures... Such as the people in the black coats," this caught Ceron's interest more than anything else.

"There were people in black coats here? Huh. Where were they hanging around at?"

"In the Bizarre room that is connected to the Queen's Courtyard and the Rabbit's Hole," she answered pleasantly, obviously pleased that she was making conversation with someone who appeared sane. "I could take you there, but we must find a different way into the Bizarre room, otherwise it will be off with our heads." Ceron had been counting on her to be relatively normal under the layer of insanity, but her last sentence made him question it.

**XxxxxX**

"We meant to tell you," mumbled Pence sheepishly to Roxas. He, Hayner, Olette, Naminé, and Roxas had just reached Station Heights, "Someone blocked off the mansion's basement, but we had no way to contact you guys."

Roxas sighed. "Sounds kind of like sabotage. That's alright, though. Are we still allowed to hang around? I'm sure we've got a while before anyone wants us back."

"Always a pleasure," Hayner grinned, pounding his fist against Roxas'. Naminé and Olette had walked ahead of the boys, leaving them to do their talk while they had their own.

"It's nice to see you again," Olette said to Naminé with a smile. Although her last visit with Naminé had been very brief and they had hardly any time for anything more besides an introduction, it was still a pleasant surprise. "It's always nice to have another girl around." Olette had grown somewhat. She was a little taller and her hair had grown, but she liked her old style so much that she really hadn't adjusted it.

"I understand completely," said Naminé with a small smile. "I was around Axel and Roxas for a long time, and on top of that, Organization XIII was made up of twelve men and one very scary woman." She shivered inwardly at the thought of the sadistic Larxene.

"So you're all on another journey? That can't be too fun."

"The circumstances aren't," admitted Naminé, "but seeing everyone again is nice."

Olette abruptly stopped as her eyebrows flew together. "That's strange, why is that girl sleeping in front of the building?" She was starting at a part of the station's wall where a girl was apparently sleeping.

Naminé narrowed her eyes in ordered to get a better look. "That's not just any girl. That's Stefa!"

"Stefa?" Olette barley had time to ask as Naminé shot toward the girl like a bullet.

Naminé bent over the sleeping girl a little, glancing back at Olette, "Better known to you as Keira. Stefa," she spoke clearly, shaking her by the shoulders a little. Immediately, Stefa's pale eyes opened to find Naminé's face inches from her own. Out of reaction more than anything, Stefa let out a small scream and made to move away. Having been leaning perfectly against the wall, Stefa could not move and only succeeded in hitting her head. Naminé backed off a little, "What _happened_ to you? Where's Nalani, Ceron?"

**XxxxxX**

Simba had been very sympathetic about Nalani's situation because he understood completely. He decided to take her back to Pride Rock so that they could see if there was anything that could be done to help. Nalani noted how beautiful the lands were as she and Simba walked: the grass was green and all of the kingdom's subjects seemed to be very happy. "It's so beautiful here."

"It is, isn't it? When I was a cub, I couldn't stand it; I always wanted to explore the weird, nasty, and dangerous." Simba laughed, "My parents, especially my father, had their hands full."

Nalani couldn't help but smile. "It seems like the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree," she noted; Simba had told her quite a bit about his daughter, Kiara.

"Even if she had been more like Nala, it wouldn't have made all that much of a difference." Simba sighed as they came up the path that led to a large and unusual shaped rock. "Here we are, Pride Rock." Sure enough, the area was filled with many lionesses, but there were a few lions lazing around as well. A beige colored lioness with a cream-colored chest approached the two of them, carrying a lioness cub in her mouth. She dropped the cub before Simba.

"Simba, your daughter would like to tell you where-" Nala stopped speaking as she noticed Nalani. "Oh. Who is this?"

Simba smiled. "Nala, this is Nalani. She's a friend of Sora's."

"It's nice to meet you, Nalani. Any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine." Nala said, smiling, as she skillfully placed a paw on the cub's tail as she made to get away. "_This_ is our lovely daughter, Kiara." Kiara smiled sheepishly up at Nalani.

"It's nice to meet you both," said Nalani, her joints twitching to bow until she remembered that she 'wasn't allowed'.

"Now then, what is it you would like to tell me, Kiara?" Simba asked with a calmness that showed he was expecting something really bad.

Kiara's smile became sweet. "I love you, daddy." She rubbed her head against one of his front legs.

Nalani couldn't help but smirk. _'Nice.'_

"Your daughter went to see Kovu, again." Nala stated with annoyance.

Simba sighed and stared at his daughter hard in the eye. "Go up to the den, Kiara, and I'll talk to you later. In the meantime, Nalani needs some help getting home. Or, at least, back to her friends." Simba nudged a crestfallen Kiara with his nose, and she stomped the rest of the way to the den.

"I think I may have an idea of how you can reach Sora, Nalani," remarked Nala.

Nalani tilted her head to the side. "You do? Really?"

Nala inclined her head. "There's one of those neon transportation spots at the top of the rock, feel free to use it." Nalani had absolutely no idea what she would do without a Gummi Ship to transport to, but the offer was so generous that she had to take it. She promptly excused herself and headed up the rock to make an attempt to reach someone.

She stood on the neon spot and immediately felt her health return to normal; her relief gave way to surprise as a beam of green light shot from the sky overhead, and she was transported away from the Pride Lands.

**XxxxxX**

Alice was very surprised to see how well Ceron could navigate around the forest, but it was never enough to get to the correct Bizarre room. She knew what had to be done; they had to cut through the Queen's Courtyard. "How bad can it be? You said her servants are a bunch of cards, right?" Ceron asked her as he pulled out his long-sword once again, "Paper-thin."

"Oh, I don't know about this," squeaked Alice when he was one step away from the Queen's courtyard.

"I'm quite the skilled swordsman, and you said that you can use the power of light. We'll defeat the cards easily." He assured her before stepping into plain view. The courtyard was not exactly large, likely because it was simply to serve as a throne room. There was a throne at the north end of the courtyard where a fat woman sat; she did not seem to care much about Ceron's appearance, but her head practically did a 360 at the sight of Alice.

"He's helping Alice! Quickly! Off with their heads, off with their heads!" The mad woman shouted, cackling when her army of red and black cards ran forward to fight.

Ceron rolled his eyes, "Too easy. Get behind me, and stay in my shadow," he added to Alice, who complied with ease. As every card ran at him, all he had to do was simply slice them in half; they really did most of the work for him. Some of the more intelligent cards hung back for an obscenely long time, forcing him to run up and slice them. The job was still simple. had to do was wait for the cards to come to him so that he could slash them in half. Within about seven minutes, the courtyard was littered with the bodies of torn cards.

The queen's pale face was steadily becoming more and more purple as she shrieked, "Seize her! Seize her!" Beside her, on the ground, a white rabbit was frantically staring at his golden pocket watch.

"You're all so fucking crazy here," groaned Ceron as he sheathed his sword and turned around. There was one card left, and it was very determined to follow his mistress's orders.

"I believe the correct word is 'mad'," corrected a lazy male voice from somewhere behind him.

Ceron did not bother to turn around to stare at the striped cat standing on his head. "Yeah, if you're part of one of Lewis Carroll's books... Alice! Use your light!" But Alice, terrified, was beyond fighting now. "I have to do everything around here." In an instant, he had run forward and slashed the final card in half.

"Off with his-!"

"Head, yes, we _get_ it." Alice snapped at the Queen before she turned back toward Ceron with a curtsey. "Thank you. The Bizarre room is this way." Ceron followed her as she walked through the opening between the hedges and disappeared through a dark doorway.

**XxxxxX**

Stefa and the others had returned to the Usual Spot to allow her to explain. "Your world was destroyed?" asked Hayner, quite surprised as he stared at her.

She rubbed her temples. "Yeah, I hope Ceron and Nalani are alright..."

"I wish there was a way to contact Riku, but if we can't get into that basement, there's no way to contact _anyone_," groaned Roxas from the arm over the loveseat, beside Naminé.

Naminé turned toward Stefa, who was on the opposite arm of the sea, with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they're fine, but they probably _are_ in a different world. Nothing too bad, I'm sure."

Something dawned upon Stefa; she was amazed she had not thought of it sooner, "Wait, Naminé! Why don't we take a portal and find them?"

Naminé rubbed the back of her head. "It's not that easy. We don't even know where they are." Before Stefa had time to argue, the neon green transportation spot began to glow. The group exchanged looks as Roxas, Naminé, and Stefa walked over it to see what was going on.

"I think...Sora's come back early," mumbled Roxas before he turned around and grinned. "I guess this is goodbye for now, but we'll be back soon; don't worry."

Pence, Hayner, and Olette nodded and waved. "See you." said Pence as the three stepped onto the point and disappeared in a flash of light.

**XxX**

"Stefa!"

"Nalani!" The two ran from opposite sides of the ship and embraced.

Sora grinned as he took in the large group on his ship. "It's a good thing we went back to have Cid give us a bigger Gummi Ship."

"Stef, I was a _lioness_, and I met the king lion, queen lion, and princess lion!" Nalani exclaimed with joy.

Stefa frowned. "I met two Nobodies turned to Somebodies." She stated, grinning a little at her own joke while Roxas rolled his eyes. "What does that get me?" Nalani smiled and gave her a pat on the back. "Where's Ceron?"

"We... still haven't found him," answered Kairi, her eyes scanning the screen from behind Sora.

"But he might be in Wonderland because that's one of the few worlds with a lot of activity," added Sora.

Stefa grinned a little more. "I bet that's fun for him! Hey... Where's Riku?" The answer did not need to be vocalized as familiar hands wrapped around Stefa's waist and pulled her against a body. She smiled a little at the warmth, able to put the thoughts of her world out of her mind for the time being.

Luckily, Nalani thought to ask about Jewel's Grove. "Sora, what's going to happen to our world and everyone in it if it was destroyed?" It was a question whose answer she had been await for a while, but Sora kept telling her that he would explain when they picked up Roxas and Naminé.

Sora sighed, sinking down in his chair a little. "Your world be sent to End of the World. That's where every destroyed world goes. As for the people in it, hopefully they will have escaped through a corridor of darkness." Guilt immediately welled up within Stefa and Nalani.

"Could this have been prevented if we had sealed the keyhole?" mumbled Stefa, the grin slipping off her face. Sora nodded sadly, causing both girls to look downcast.

"But don't worry," Kairi said comfortingly, "Sora got back Destiny Islands by sealing Kingdom Hearts."

Riku pulled Stefa a little closer to him. "That would mean it's been _unsealed_, though. We have to figure out what Organization XIII is up to, and fast. And, this time, no one will be left in the darkness."

"But it might help if we _are_ in the darkness." Naminé quietly added. Everyone on the ship stared at her as if she were crazy. "Castle Oblivion resides in darkness, remember? I can seal Kingdom Hearts from the outside and someone else can do it from the inside. Then, I'll use a portal to get in with everyone else."

Roxas immediately opened his mouth to argue, "And I'll stay with you."

"We'll figure everything out later, I guess," decided Nalani. "In the meantime, we should probably rescue Ceron from Wonderland."

Stefa smirked. "Aw, but I think he probably likes it, Nala."


	16. We'll Make it Last Forever

**A/N: I hope that last chapter was alright (I had to re-edit it because I accidently pasted the same thing twice.) xD Go figure. Anyway, that chapter better have been relatively pleasing considering that I stayed up til about three o'clock typing away. Why it took over three hours to type that chapter is beyond me...** **Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and favoring (whether it be me or the stories :D) **

**Disclaimer-This plot is miiiine! Sure, it's not really creative, but it's still mine. :D Oh, yeah, and the OCs, too.**

* * *

The room that Alice led to, despite its gigantic size, somehow looked the most normal; he guessed that the other entrances to the Bizarre Room were meant to make the room look a strange angle. "They were right there by the door." Alice led him to a large pink door with a doorknob that seemed to have a face. Ceron looked around and figured out where the room had gotten its name; it really _was_ bizarre.

"Why do I feel like a mouse?" asked Ceron with a glance at the gigantic furniture before they stopped by the snoring door.

Alice fixed him with a strange gaze. "I'm guessing that you didn't come here the way that our last visitors did."

"I didn't come through a portal of darkness, no."

Alice placed her hands on her hips. "I was referring to Donald, Goofy, and Sora."

_'One out of three isn't that bad.'_ He informed her, "I know a Sora... kind of."

Alice smiled and clapped her hands together. "Now I understand why you know about my light. Oh, how is he?"

Ceron scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I still don't know why you can use light, but I've seen Kairi and Naminé use it, so..." He trailed off suggestively and shrugged his shoulders. "He's, er... alright." Ceron decided to examine the door before Alice attacked him with another round of questions. "The keyhole's in this door? How original."

The white rabbit Ceron had noticed in the courtyard entered the room, looked around, and scampered toward them. In one hand, he was clenching a paper while the other held onto a trumpet, "You two!" Without warning, he placed the trumpet to his mouth and blew quite loudly. Ceron, being in band, was adjusted to such a loud sound invading his ears, while Alice appeared rather shocked. The white rabbit set the trumpet down, cleared his throat, and unrolled a large piece of parchment. "Ahem, 'By order of her Royal Highness, Alice and her little... friend are subject to attending a trial for committing murder.'"

Alice gasped shrilly and Ceron smirked. "How can we go to a trial if she doesn't have any more cards?"

"She has many more than that, simple boy!" He continued to read the paper, "'If the subjects do not attend trial, they will be behead immediately.'"

"Oh, dear," mumbled Alice, shaking her head. "When must we attend?"

"Right at this moment. Follow me, now." The rabbit ordered as he picked up his trumpet and exited the room. Reluctantly, Alice and Ceron followed right behind him.

**XxxxxX**

"We're sure that he's in Wonderland?" Roxas asked Sora for the fifth time.

Sora heaved a sigh, "_Yes_, Roxas," he grumbled before tapping a button that caused the entire group to disappear.

The way that they entered Wonderland was the same as Sora's first visit. They dropped through the rabbit hole and landed safely at the bottom. "This is a... rabbit hole, you said?" Nalani asked as she looked around. It looked semi normal, but still not normal enough. It gave her a decent idea of what Ceron must have been dealing with. They walked down the hallway and stopped when they reached a large door. Sora took a step forward, but he didn't bother grabbing for the handle.

The large door opened, revealing another door, which opened, following another door, and another... After about three minutes of watching ten million doors open, a regular sized door opened and they went on through. "Whoa, we're huge!" exclaimed Stefa, ducking her head.

Beside her, Riku banged his head against the ceiling. "How do we get smaller?" Sora mustered a sheepish grin as, ducking, he walked toward a table with two bottles.

Kairi squinted at the bottles. "There's only two? How are we all supposed get smaller?"

"Don't worry, one's all we need. One makes you bigger and one makes you smaller," replied Sora as he grabbed the vial nearest him. He took one sip, and the group of them immediately turned smaller. Small was the wrong word; they turned downright tiny.

"There's a difference," noted Naminé as she looked up at the now huge table.

Nalani glanced around the room, but it was empty. "Where do you think Ceron is?"

"I hope he's with Alice," sighed Sora; no one knew Wonderland better than the little girl, and that was only because she had been trapped here for a while.

Kairi raised her eyebrows, remembering the girl from Hollow Bastion. "Alice? She lives here?"

"Where do we go first?" asked Riku, glancing up at the tall stovetop and giant teddybear.

Sora started in the direction of a doorway where a bed used to be. "Let's go to the Queen's Courtyard."

Recalling what she had learned about Sora's first journey, Stefa asked, "Sora, isn't that a bit... _dangerous_?" The Queen was insane, he had said.

Sora grinned and waved her off. "Her minions are _cards_, Stefa. I'd be afraid if we couldn't handle them. We'll be fine," he added at the petrified looks on the faces of Naminé and Kairi.

"Guys? I don't think we're going anywhere yet," noted Roxas, gesturing to the black spots on the floor that were steadily lifting themselves up to be Shadows.

Nalani groaned, "Great, more Heartless."

**XxX**

"You can't put us on trial for something that was done out of defense!" exclaimed Alice from the stand before the Queen of Hearts. "You ordered an attack on us for no reason!"

"Of course I had a reason to set my army on you, silly child," replied the Queen with forced sweetness.

Alice pounded her fists on the stand. "Then, what are the charges?"

A wide and sinister grin formed on the Queen's face. "I charge you with summoning all of the confounded Heartless! Perhaps if you had come to see me sooner, it wouldn't have caused all of this..."

"You haven't charged me with anything in over three years," said Alice in a voice that almost resembled a growl. From the stand beside her, Ceron glance at the little girl; she looked like she would like nothing more than to jump over the stand and throttle the queen.

The Queen slammed her heart-shaped gavel. "Is it my fault that you didn't know? I find you both guilty! Guilty of all charges! Off with their heads!"

Ceron grinned at the empty courtyard. "Looks like I really _did_ get rid of all of your cards." Just then, about twenty cards broke through the hedges on either side of the queen. "Oh."

One of the cards, wielding an axe, came to the back of Alice's stand, holding it up in a menacing fashion. "Firaga!" A girl's voice echoed throughout the graveyard, burning the card to a crisp, and turning him to ashes on Alice's stand. Wielding her large and intricate staff, Nalani entered the 'courtroom' with a smug look on her face.

"Took you long enough," joked Ceron with some serious relief. He jumped down from the stand, and Alice did the same.

"This place is interesting," noted Nalani as the rest of the soldiers came forward. Stefa grasped her friend by the shoulders and jumped on her back, and the two of them tumbled onto the grass.

From the comfortable spot on Nalani's back, Stefa glanced up at the queen with a grin, "Who's the fat woman?" Nalani began to get up on her knees, causing her to fall onto the ground.

"Stop messing around! You are under arrest for killing a soldier," a black diamond card informed Nalani, "and you are under arrest for making jokes about her highness, the Queen of Hearts," he added to Stefa. To show how seriously they were taking the soldiers, the girls grinned with amusement.

Ceron looked to Nalani. "Where's everyone else?"

"Back in the bizarre room, taking care of the Heartless; they'll finish them off soon enough. "Firaga!" A large ring of fire surrounded five of the soldiers and burnt them to a crisp. "I almost feel bad for doing this. _Almost_." Alice watched as Nalani and Stefa used fire spells and Ceron cut the cards in half. They continued this until the army was gone.

"My _soldiers_!" gasped the Queen as she jumped out of her chair, brandishing a flamingo.

Alice turned to her saviors. "We had better go before she attempts to severe our heads with her croquet stick." They agreed and ran for the Bizarre room.

When they reached the room, Stefa asked, "That was a _croquet _stick?" The Heartless count had become unbelievable. From every section of the room, Shadows were forming and attacking. An army of them jumped from a painting and off of the lamps to land before them. It was probably for the best that they had returned; Sora and the others looked like they were having some trouble.

Ceron fell the Shadows with ease. "_Now_ I finally see some Heartless in this world."

From the other end of the room, looking harassed as an army of Shadows and Neoshadows surrounded him, Sora called, "Stefa, seal Wonderland's keyhole!"

She looked wildly around the room. Even if she hadn't been the size of a mouse, the room was humongous; the keyhole could be anywhere. "What? Keyhole, where is it?"

"It's the door's keyhole," came the simple reply as Sora went back to fighting the Heartless.

Stefa groaned, "But I just asked..." She became increasingly aware that Alice was dragging her toward the pink door with a face.

Alice gestured to the door, "_This_ door's keyhole." Stefa extended her right arm out, and a beam of light shot from the tip of Shadow Heart and entered the snoring door's keyhole.

"Stefa, watch it!" Roxas called from somewhere in the room. Like so many months ago, a greedy Shadow Heartless jumped toward her back, its claws extended...

...The Heartless was easily destroyed by a shot of light. Alice was holding her hands to her heart, a delighted smile upon her face. Once the keyhole was locked, Stefa turned toward her with a smile. "Thank you, you just saved me from a repeat performance."

Alice curtsied. "It was my pleasure!"

**XxX**

"Thank you all so much," said Alice to Sora and the others. They were standing in a park, a little bit away from an older girl who was sitting against a tree and reading a history book. "I'm finally free of Wonderland, and we should hopefully have no more Heartless troubles here."

Sora grinned. "It was no sweat; anything for an old friend."

"You're sure that you don't know where the people in the black cloaks went?" Roxas asked the girl once again.

She shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. However, if what you all said is true, they've probably gone to another world to unlock the keyhole."

"There are probably tons of worlds that are unlocked by now," sighed Riku. Stefa gave him a pat on the back.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you all..."

"Wait, Alice!" called Kairi. Confused, Alice turned around to face her. "We don't know what the Organization is up to, so watch yourself."

Alice nodded, smiling. "Take care of yourselves!" This time, she turned and ran toward the girl sitting at the tree, "Sister!" The girl sitting at the three looked up from her book, an angry expression upon her face.

"Alice, I _told_ you to stay put!" scolded her sister.

Sora rested his arms behind his head. "Isn't it amazing that four years later neither of them have changed?"

Kairi nodded, "It is."

"It's probably the effects of this world, like Neverland," suggested Naminé. In the distance, Alice and her sister were beginning to walk away, but not without the Princess of Heart turning around to wave.

**XxX**

The group returned to the Radiant Garden, later that night. "If the Organization was after the Princesses of Heart, wouldn't they have snatched Alice?" asked Leon from his spot near the computer. Everyone was, for a change, gathered in the living room instead of the kitchen.

"Who knows? Maybe they don't know who the Princesses of Heart are?" suggested Nalani.

Stefa shook her head. "How could that be possible? Xemnas and the rest of the Organization were around when Maleficent gathered the Princesses two years ago; she even had their help in kidnapping them. No, they must know who the Princesses are."

Sora nodded his agreement, "And if Ansem - I mean, if Xehanort's heartless knew," he had to correct himself; it was still hard to break the habit, "Don't you think that Xehanort might have known, meaning that Xemnas knows?"

Ceron shrugged a little. "They could be after something else for now. Who knows? Maybe they don't even want total power."

Riku snorted a little from his spot beside Stefa, "The Organization not wanting total power? Right," he shook his head. "No. They're probably thinking that after they have hearts, power will come to them more easily. Or they might try something else completely."

Stefa was finally lost, though she was not surprised. As per usual, the talk of Nobodies confused her. "My head hurts," she groaned, resting her head against Riku.

Clearly remembering the same thing, Sora remarked, "_There's_ a first." Riku, who was sitting beside him, somehow managed to strategically kick him at the same time as Kairi elbowed him.

Yuffie grinned. "It doesn't matter for now. You're here for a break, right? Then take one."

"I just want to get our world back to the way it was," grumbled Nalani.

For the thirteenth time, Kairi replied, "I'm sure your friends and family are fine."

Stefa blew some of her bangs out of her face as she straightened up again. "I'm not so sure. The last time Jewel's Grove was overrun by Heartless – _overrun_, not even destroyed – I lost my parents. With it destroyed..." Her words did nothing at all to settle either Ceron or Nalani, both of whom groaned and slumped in their seats.

"Well, she is the 'Princess of Darkness' for a reason," noted Tifa with a grim smile.

Roxas slowly stood. "We probably shouldn't be kicking it back here; we just wanted to fill you guys in on what was happening."

Tifa frowned as the others followed Roxas' example. "Leaving so soon?"

Cid slowly turned away from his computer, looking nervous. The pilot _never _looked nervous. Immediately, the wielders felt anxious. "Y'all might want to know something before you leave."

"What happened?" demanded Riku.

Axel, who had also been hovering near the computer mumbled, "It's not the easiest thing to say." He rubbed the back of his head. "You see... Twilight Town's been destroyed."

**XxxxxX**

"How many worlds is that now?" Xemnas was sitting in the meeting room, Saïx beside him.

Saïx counted on his fingers, "Twilight Town, Jewel's Grove, Land of the Dragons, and Neverland so far." He shook his head. "Hn, those Heartless are certainly taking their time."

"Hopefully we'll be meeting up with Stefa soon; I sense that if we were meet with her again, she may be a little more willing to help us." Xemnas was smiling knowingly, an evil thing to see. Saïx stared at him for a minute, but when he realized what he was talking about, he returned the smile.

"We'll have Number XIV drop a surprise visit..."

**XxxxxX**

For the tenth time, Roxas mumbled, "We should have sealed that keyhole while we were there." He, Sora, and Riku were riding in the _Highwind_. In the other Gummi ship, rightly named _Princesa, _was Kairi, Naminé, and Stefa.

"It's too late to change anything now," sighed Naminé through the transmission. "I'm sure Hayner, Pence and Olette are alright, but... things are getting a little suspicious." In the background, the boys could hear Kairi and Stefa arguing over Stefa's driving. "I think that we should have left one of them behind," she added in a groan.

The boys chuckled. "Nalani didn't like having to stay behind..." Sora stated, rubbing his arm where Nalani had used a fire spell out of anger.

"The Radiant Garden needs Nalani, Ceron, and especially Elie to keep an eye on things," remarked Riku.

As Stefa narrowly missed running into a meteor, Kairi demanded, "Why do _you_ get to drive?"

"Because I have a Keyblade."

Kairi's eyes narrowed, "So do I!"

"Because I'm special."

"Oh, I'll show _you_ special," the normally peaceful Kairi muttered as she called upon Radiant Destiny.

Naminé glanced over her shoulder with a sigh, "Uh-oh. Take care, guys. We'll meet you in Atlantica." The last thing Sora, Riku, and Roxas heard was the quiet blonde yelling at the both of them and threatening to 'turn the ship around'.

"Yikes."

**XxxxxX**

"I don't see why _we_ have to stay behind," grumbled Nalani, not for the first time. She was walking with Elie around the cleaned-up Postern. Having known Quince since they were children, she was also quite familiar with Elie, his cousin and best friend.

Elie nodded vehemently, a frown on her face. "They said _I_ have to stay behind in case there are really bad Heartless attacks. Liars!" They finally stopped their pacing and climbed onto a wall.

Nalani stamped EaKaze into the ground. "This is boring."

"Not for long," called a voice said from somewhere in the area; they both jumped off of the wall, alert and prepared to beat whoever it was into the ground.

Elie was nearly jumping up and down in her excitement to do something, like fight, "Who's there?"

"Nobody," replied the voice, amused. Elie had become relatively familiar with the voice and was quite aware that it was Reixka.

"Reixka?" she called, surprised at how calmly and kindly she spoke the name.

"Aren't we clever?" Reixka jumped off a higher part of the castle and landed before them.

Nalani raised an eyebrow. "_This_ is Stefa's Nobody? She's _nothing_ like her."

"I'm not a 'this'," growled Reixka at their looks of deep dislike. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint you both, but I won't be fighting today. I'm off to unlock a keyhole." She turned around and summoned a flowing vortex of darkness. "Oh, and if you see Stefa, tell her how _sorry_ I am that we lost our home," she added with a smirk before disappearing into the portal.

Nalani clenched EaKaze a little tighter, "After her! We can't let her unseal the keyhole." She and Elie ran forward, and to their surprise, they actually made it into the portal.

**XxxxxX**

Stefa treaded her arms through the cool water as she glanced around. "Why do you think we landed in the sea?" Kairi, Stefa, and Sora had regained their old mermaid forms, while Riku, Naminé, and Roxas gained their first ones.

Like Sora, Roxas and Riku both had dolphin-like tails; Riku's was the same color as his eyes and Roxas' was black. Naminé, like Kairi and Stefa, had a mermaid tail only hers was white and the shells acting as a top were white. Like two years earlier, Kairi had a purple tail with a pink bra, and Stefa was all red.

"Something's probably going on," answered Sora. "Let's go see if we can find anyone." He began to swim forward, Kairi and Stefa shakily following after him, while Roxas, Riku, and Naminé completely and totally flailed around in the water.

"Hey, guys? Remember, we haven't learned how to _swim_ yet?" Riku called after them.

Sora stopped and scratched his head. "Right... Well, I guess I better demonstrate."

* * *

**A/N: I wonder if anyone caught Ceron saying 'Yeah, if you're part of one of Lewis Carroll's books.'? Leave a review, and if you understand it, I will award you a cyber brownie. :3** **This chapter was short, too. Sorry. Dx**


	17. The Battle for the Radiant Garden prt 1

**A/N: Atlantica isn't going to be as long as you may have thought. I would have extended it had it not had three chapters worth in the other fanfic. xD  
**

* * *

Reixka's portal led her directly to the Great Hall as she had been practicing exploring Hollow Bastion on her off days. "All I have to do is unseal the keyhole and run," she reminded herself as she heard two pairs of feet running behind her.

Nalani was waving EaKaze and shouting, "I'm going to send you back where you belong!" Reixka spared her a backward glance before she ran up the steps and entered the dark depths.

"Is the keyhole really inside of there?" Elie asked no one in particular as they followed hot on Reixka's heels.

Nalani shrugged her shoulders, "Must be." Without hesitation, they jumped through the entrance of the dark depths; one thing hadn't yet changed about the Radiant Garden, and that was the condition of the top floors of the castle. Suddenly, Elie and Nalani found themselves standing in an area that was made up of different colors.

"Trippy!" Elie exclaimed eagerly.

Nalani threw a sideways glance at her. "You're a little... hyper, aren't you?" The reply was a vigorous nod. Up ahead, Reixka had already summoned Sakura dawning, a black light shooting out of its tip. "Shit! We're too late."

Reixka turned around and grinned; Nalani was instantly reminded of Stefa, "Too slow."

"I'll show you too slow." Nalani surged forward as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Instead of using magic, she knocked over Reixka by the means of her staff. "You may have beaten everyone else, but I'm different."

"Not different enough," came the smug reply as Reixka swept Nalani's feet from beneath her.

Nalani jumped, but one foot got caught and she fell to the ground. "You're too predictable; I wonder how you ever beat anyone?" She taunted before casting a Thundaga spell from her spot on the floor.

Dazed, Reixka rubbed her head and attempted to glare at her enemy. "Whoever said I beat a person? Why do you think I usually have other Organization members accompany me?"

"To babysit you," remarked Nalani with a grin.

Elie watched them with an excited expression, "Oh, oh, oh! I wanna fight!"

"Then, here!" Reixka raised her left arm and snapped, sending a large army of Heartless toward the shocked keyblade wielder. Elie regained her composure quickly, slashing skillfully at the army.

Nalani glared at Reixka. "You're annoying. What's the Organization planning?"

"To destroy the worlds, of course," The way she spoke, it _could_ have been sarcasm, but Nalani knew Stefa, so she knew better. Nalani muttered something incoherent under her breath as she held her staff above her head. "What are you-?"

The staff emitted a glow of light as thick layers of ice began to form on it; blue light temporarily covered Nalani's body. She ran forward and hit Reixka with it. The Nobody had been expecting little more than coldness, so she screamed when she felt the staff pierce her skin through the coat. Reixka did a backflip away from Nalani and pulled up her sleeve; there was a deep welt in her skin.

She dropped the sleeve and attempted to gather herself. Nalani, in the meantime, held out her left hand. The hand began to glow blue. Reixka finally looked over at her enemy, and quickly held up Sakura Dawning. About twenty small sharp icicles flew toward her, and she managed to block a decent amount of them. "You shouldn't be able to do this stuff with your hands."

"I can do a _lot_ with my hands." Nalani dodged Reixka's keyblade as she swung it at her numerous times. She was struck once, her arm, and only received a cut; it wasn't that bad. "You're not very skilled beneath that coat, are you?"

"Shut up!" Reixka growled, slashing her keyblade so fast that Nalani hadn't even seen it coming. The blow to her side set her off balance, at most. The image of a young brunette girl flashed into her mind. "Why can't I-?"

"Beat me?" Nalani jumped away and held up her staff one final time. About fifty small shards of ice surrounded Reixka's body, hanging in midair. Nalani brought her staff to her chest and swiped forward. "Fire!" **(A/n: Not the 'fire' spell... she's telling the shards to hit Rei.)**

**XxxxxX**

After the short lesson, Sora and the others set off below the sea to King Triton's throne room. They found a very distressed-looking king pacing there; he faced Stefa with a very unkind stare as she entered. Stefa, having never really been around the king, froze in midswim, causing Riku to bump into her. "U-uh..."

"You...!" the King roared, starting forward with his trident; Riku instantly swam in front of her, Way to Dawn in hand as they had been fighting Heartless ever since landing.

"What kind of greeting is that?" demanded Riku, not moving away from Stefa.

Sora moved to the front of the group in an attempt to diffuse the hostility. "King Triton, what's wrong?"

"Melody was attacked," he replied, still glaring at Stefa. "A keyblade wielder that bore a resemblance to Keira—"

"Stefa," mumbled the girl in question, though very quietly.

"—Attacked her in Ariel's grotto."

The group's response was the same, but there was downright outrage on Stefa's face, "What? I haven't been here for two years!" she added vehemently, a scowl on her face.

"You said a _resemblance_," pointed out Naminé. "What did she look like?"

"Brown and silver-streaked hair in a braid," Stefa opened her mouth to point out that her hair was blond but, she supposed, her hair did darken to a brown in the water. All the same...

Stefa tugged at her dark hair, gesturing to the streaks. "I have _black _streaks. Besides, I would _never _hurt Melody. Never."

Triton relaxed a little. "Hn, that may be, but what am I to believe? Did your evil twin do it?"

Kairi smiled a little sheepishly. "Well, actually..." The King pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was Stefa's Nobody, Reixka."

"Nobody?" echoed the King; he knew what a Nobody was, but appeared surprised that Stefa had one.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, Stefa's Nobody, who works for Organization XIII. What exactly happened?"

"They were relentless on her." Everyone thought the same thing, _'They?'_ "Melody told me that she thought the keyblade-wielding one was Keira. The fake one even tried to impersonate her."

"Bitch," snarled Stefa before adding, "Wait, even Melody told you it wasn't me? And yet...?"

Triton waved her off. "I thought she might be trying to protect you."

Roxas asked the burning question. "Who's 'they'?"

"A blond man and woman, though she said the man didn't do anything."

"Larxene and Demyx," mumbled Naminé.

Sora inclined his head a little. "They were probably there to keep anyone from stopping Reixka. She must have unsealed the keyhole. Thank you, King Triton, and I'm sorry."

The King pulled on his beard a little before heaving a sigh. "No, _I _am sorry. Melody is my... I would do anything for her. I did not mean to falsely accuse you," he added to Stefa.

She shook her head. "No, no, I understand, really. And I promise, I'll get her for what she's done. I'll destroy her, I swear." Hurting Melody was unforgiveable. What could the girl have possibly done to Reixka? Melody was innocent and didn't even know how to hold a weapon, let alone use one. There was no point in attacking her, except... "To anger me, to piss me off," she realized, mumbling under her breath.

"You're better off having her join you," noted Roxas.

"Having that... _thing_ inside of me? Ugh." The very idea made her feel sick. There was _nothing_ that she shared in common with Reixka. Everything about the Nobody was an off-shoot of Stefa; she was sadistic and evil, nothing like Stefa. Then, Stefa remembered the voice back in the Underworld, telling her to help Hades, to use darkness... _'But... Does that mean that I'm evil, too?'_

She distantly heard the others saying goodbye before they swam out of the throne room with Sora leading. Naminé shot her a concerned glance, and Stefa quickly shook her head and smiled before the two exited the palace last.

**XxxxxX**

Reixka was down on one knee, panting heavily. "You're a bitch."

Though equally exhausted, Nalani continued to stand, pointing EaKaze down at the Nobody, "Takes one to know one. I'll try to make your death as painless as... No, I lied; I'll make your death as painful as possible." The staff began to glow orange, but before Nalani did anything, about five Shadows jumped on her back at the same time.

"Sucker." Reixka grinned, standing with ease, before summoning a portal. "You may have won the battle, but you haven't won the war." With the cryptic statement, she disappeared into the darkness. Nalani tried to shake the Heartless off of her, but it was proving rather difficult.

They were greedily slashing at her back, ripping into her t-shirt. And then... they were gone. Elie smiled triumphantly and blew off the tip of Dragon Fang before it disappeared. She offered Nalani a hand. "Thanks," breathed Nalani as she stood.

"You were great! You kicked her ass."

Nalani smiled a little. "Can you seal the keyhole?"

Elie shook her head. "I was... trying, but it won't work. I don't know what the problem is. Maybe I've been in the darkness too long but, even so, Riku can do it..." For a change, she actually appeared concerned.

"It's fine, don't worry. We'd better go back and warn the others, though."

Elie returned to her normally cheery disposition immediately and summoned a portal. "I'm kind of glad I can still do this."

Nalani was still smiling as she stepped into the darkness, but she felt anxious. '_There was something too cryptic about what Reixka said.' _

**XxxxxX**

"That was... a lot less exciting than our last time here," concluded Sora from his spot in the pilot seat after they sealed Atlantica's keyhole again.

Over the transmission, he heard Stefa say, "Yeah, if I'm not nearly drowning about three or four times in one visit, it's definitely not exciting."

Roxas leaned back in his chair. "So, where to now?"

"Guys? We'd better get back to the Radiant Garden," informed Kairi in a serious voice.

Riku bent a little closer to the screen. "Why? What's going on?"

"Darkness clouds are starting to surround it - not enough that we can't get in, but enough to make me worry," admitted Kairi.

Before the screen clicked off, Riku said, "We'll meet you there."

**XxX**

The state of the world became quite obvious when they landed in the Marketplace to find it teeming with Heartless. "She unlocked the Radiant Garden?" She continued, in a softer voice, as the others ran forward to fight, "The next time I see her, I'll..."

"What?" A voice called from overhead. When Stefa looked up, she half-expected to see Quince's smug expression, but, instead, she found Reixka. It was a bad trade off, she decided. However, she could tell by the intense look on the Nobody's face that something had happened to her.

Amused, Stefa summoned Shadow Heart. "Who beat you up?"

"The mage," snapped Reixka with obvious embarrassment. She jumped off of the roof and stood before her Somebody.

The amusement promptly slipped off of her face as she recalled little Melody. "Reixka, what you did to Melody was _low_. Beating on innocent children? Is that the plan now? I'll get you for what you did! I won't let you hurt anyone else I care about!"

"So we both want to kill each other, huh? Well, here's the problem," her expression turned amused as she watched Stefa's confused one. "Without me, you'll always be less complete and less powerful. However, if I'm without you, I get everything. We both know how this should end."

"I don't think we do," she replied through pursed lips as adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Reixka shrugged, "Only one way to find out." She all but threw herself at Stefa with Sakura Dawning, which was a very foolish move indeed. Standing too close to the edge, Stefa toppled over and, since Reixka had pressed herself against her, they both fell.

That did not stop their fight in the least. "It looks like you can't escape if you don't have somewhere to summon your portal!" shouted Stefa as she resurfaced from the water, shaking her wet hair out of her face. Using one hand and her legs to move her through the water, she used the other to flail Shadow Heart at Reixka. Once she was close enough, she used her feet to tread the water and pushed Reixka under.

Kairi moved to the edge of the wall, and finding only Stefa, she asked, "Stefa, what are you doing?"

"I'm just—" Stefa's answer was cut short when Reixka resurfaced from the water and shoved Sakura Dawning into her gut, knocking out all of her air.

Reixka smirked as Stefa choked, "She's just losing, Princess, don't worry about her."

Kairi had not gotten a particularly great look at Reixka back in Halloween Town, and she found herself unable to move from the spot. "Her Nobody." She tried to imagine a scenario where Naminé hated her enough to kill her, but she couldn't. It just wasn't possible. She couldn't imagine Roxas trying to do that to Sora, either.

Stefa retaliated by slashing wildly at Reixka, landing most of the attacks since the Nobody wasn't a particularly good swimmer; a fact that surprised Stefa quite a bit. She finished off the combo by casting a Thundaga spell.

Clearly not enjoying watching Stefa's dangerous fight in the water, Kairi pointed out, "There's a ladder over here." Stefa looked to where Kairi was referring and swam toward it, leaving her slightly paralyzed Nobody to float in the water. _'That would have been useful two years ago,' _she thought, _'Though I probably wouldn't have known about Sephiroth, then. Well. That's probably not true. Maleficent _wanted _him to kill Aerith in front of me...' _She shook off the thought and memories as Kairi helped her back into the Marketplace. "Aren't you going to finish her off?"

Stefa smiled a little bitterly. "Killing is not as easy as the innocent seem to think, and besides, killing your Nobody seems kind of like killing yourself, to me." Kairi took this as something of a sign that her friend was considering what Roxas' proposed in Atlantica. "Let's go and see what's going on."

Below, in the water, Reixka shouted, "Stefa, I won't give up until you're gone! You know that I'll do what I have to. Haven't I already shown you that by attacking Melody?" Much to her chagrin, Stefa and Kairi were ignoring her and nearly gone.

**XxX**

"Heartless, heartless, heartless!" Elie yelled in the same fashion a jealous sister might say another sister's name out of annoyance. She slashed Dragon Fang, wiping out a group of Shadows with one swipe, "God."

Leon could honestly say that he had never seen so many Heartless in the Radiant Garden... aside from the time the world had been destroyed. His gunblade killed several Neoshadows as they jumped out of the ground as he eyed the area; there were swarms of Heartless hanging around on the rooftops of houses and even more on ground-level. Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud spotted a large portal disappearing. "I don't think Heartless are the only ones attacking," he called.

"We have to find them before they wreak more havoc than the Heartless."

From somewhere further away, a voice called, "We might be able to assist with that." Sora's voice; Leon had never thought that it would be so _nice_ to hear that voice.

"Sora, the keyhole has been-!" Leon began, but cut himself short when the group of wielders nodded.

Roxas managed a grin, "We figured as much."

"The Organization said something about wanting a new castle before," remembered Elie from one of the many conversations in Castle Oblivion. "Maybe they want to wipe out everyone in the Radiant Garden so that they can take the castle?"

"Whatever they're planning, they aren't taking over the Radiant Garden," decided Cloud, as if him saying it made the statement true.

"How very valiant of you all," drawled Saïx from his spot atop Merlin's house. His presnece had gone undetected as he watched the group reconvene and fight. "You're foolish if you think that you can save this world when you've already failed to save two."

"Shut up!" Roxas, Naminé, Stefa, and Elie shouted at him; it was a sore spot to mention that they had lost their home worlds.

A sadistic smile appeared on Saïx's face. "Oh, did I say two? I meant four. You've failed four different worlds, but I know how you can save more from that fate."

The only ones who appeared interested were Elie, Stefa, and Sora. "What?"

"Hand over her." Saïx answered simply, pointing at Stefa. Leon held up his Gunblade and shot a warning shot at the Nobody. "Ah, is it going to be a struggle? So be it." He snapped, summoning several Large Bodies.

Cloud glanced at the wielders as Saïx dropped from the roof. "Go seal the keyhole."

"We're not leaving you to fight all of them alone!" Sora stubbornly replied as he took up a spot beside Leon. Riku looked back at the princesses, but he didn't need to say anything, for Naminé nodded in understanding and summoned a portal. Kairi entered it first, but Stefa, who was dead set on fighting Saïx, had to be pulled into the portal by Naminé.

The portal led them directly inside of the Dark Depths. "The keyhole is in this colorful place? I almost forgot after all this time," mumbled Stefa. Three separate beams of light became one as they entered the keyhole, but, inches away, the lights sparked and faded.

"That's not good," sighed Kairi, "Why can't we seal this keyhole?"

"Because it was sealed with deep darkness," answered a male voice from somewhere behind them. They turned on their heels, immediately on guard, as they found themselves face to face with a man with an eye patch and long ponytail.

Naminé acknowledged him, "Xigbar,"

He barked a laugh, "How nice to see that you're getting along so well. What a shame I've been ordered to capture the three of you."

**XxX**

"Do you think it was smart to send off the three of them on their own?" Cloud asked as he took a swing at Saïx with his Buster Sword. No doubt, he was recalling a less than able Keira hurling her keyblade into a tree in the Enchanted Dominion.

Roxas stabbed Oblivion into the back of a Large Body. "It better have been." Amazing how they could converse like they weren't fighting heart-thirsty animals.

Saïx smirked. "Now would be an improper time to mention Xigbar has been dispatched to capture them, I presume?" The men and Elie all stopped attacking him and stared dumbly. In fits of anger, the group attacked Saïx as a whole.

"Whoa!" Ceron said as he and Nalani stopped a few feet before the fight, having just exited the Bailey.

Nalani grinned, calling, "Do you need any more help in there or is six on one enough?" The grin slipped off her face as a gust from Saïx's claymore blew everyone away.

Ceron jumped into the fray, sword held at the ready. "I believe they need help."

"I couldn't agree more," replied Nalani as she followed.

**XxX**

Fighting the Freeshooter instead of the Snipe Nobodies, which the girls had grown accustomed to, was much different. He fired laser after laser at them and after being shot relentlessly or blocking to the point of no tomorrow, they were all starting to get exhausted. "Why do you have to capture all three of us?" Stefa demanded, slamming Shadow Heart against Xigbar when he took a break to reload.

"I don't, but I somehow think it might be easier that way," came the surprisingly amused reply. He shot five lasers at Stefa, knocking her away from him while Kairi stood in a defensive position in front of Naminé, who was... drawing in her sketchbook? Sure enough, the 'witch' had grabbed her pencils and sketchbook out of the bag around her waist, and she was now drawing quickly.

Stefa shot the two of them a perplexed glance, but quickly returned her attention to Xigbar as he fired more lasers at her. She held up Shadow Heart and reflected the attacks right back at him. "I guess when the going gets tough, your friends get going." Xigbar said, shrugging his shoulders, and grinning wickedly. Stefa was not to be misled; she had learned her lesson from Maleficent's brainwashing.

She cast a thundaga spell on him, but he was hardly bothered. "You're not as amazing at fighting as Marluxia led me to believe," he stated with obvious disappointment. "I don't like my fights to be easy." He blew off the top of one of his guns when something odd began to happen.

Out of absolutely nowhere, a glass casing formed around and trapped him. Naminé was standing now, holding her sketchbook up; it was a picture of what had just happened. She summoned a portal with her free hand, and the three of them fled the scene just as Xigbar freed himself.

Xigbar summoned his own portal. "Clever little sneak!"

* * *

**6.22.11: I actually wasn't planning on keeping the reference to the Brady Bunch, but it was too cute to omit. :P That and an actual review mentioned it, so I felt obligated to keep it. Anyway, I obviously went pretty far with Naminé's 'abilities' as a 'witch'. Just adjusted the story as I saw fit. :P**


	18. The Battle for the Radiant Garden prt 2

**A/N: **6.22.11**: I am going to edit out a HUGE thing in this chapter. HUGE. You'll see when you read it. But, obviously, if you've never read this story before, you wouldn't know what it is. It's one of two huge edits I'm going to do in this story.**

Old: **In reference to what I had Naminé do in the last chapter... Well, I do what I want. :D Last day of summer, loves. :3 **

* * *

A million different thoughts were running through Stefa's head as she, Kairi and Naminé ran down the slope leading away from the Postern. Returning to the Radiant Garden and seeing so much of it, in addition to returning to Atlantica, brought back so many memories. As she ran, she thought of her first adventure, and how she had lost her mother. That had been when Jewel's Grove was only teeming with Heartless. Now, however, it had been destroyed and the people there... Who knows what had happened to them? She thought of Kath, how she had come so close to touching the Shadow back by the lake, and, trusting Stefa and her stories, what if she tried to do it again? What if a Shadow simply took her heart before the world was destroyed? Stefa slowed to a stop, _'I lost my parents, Quince... I don't think I can handle losing anyone else.'_

Kairi and Naminé noticed immediately and doubled back to join her. "What is it?" asked Kairi, looking into the hazel eyes, which were wavering with tears. "Stefa..." Somewhat alarmed, she threw her arms around Stefa's shoulders.

Stefa shook her head. "I can't lose anyone else," she mumbled. "My home is gone, my family, my friends... I'm so afraid. I really can't lose anyone else."

"You won't, Stefa, you won't," reassured Naminé, if not a little naively as she added, "You could always return to Destiny Islands with us when the journey's over."

Kairi's facial expression looked quite like Sora's when he was determined. "We're going to take care of it, I promise. We'll get back your home, and I bet you that your family's already in Traverse Town, or something." Stefa sniffled and nodded. Hearing the words was much more reassuring coming from Kairi.

"Oh, how sweet," someone said from behind them. Kairi released Stefa and turned around as Radiant Destiny flashed into her hand, but it was only Axel.

"Axel! What are you doing here?" asked Naminé.

He grinned. "I heard the three of you were in a bit of a pickle, but you look alright now. Mostly, at least," he added at the look on Stefa's face.

Radiant Destiny disappeared as she and Naminé returned their attention to Stefa. "Thanks, Axel," said Kairi with much appreciation.

Neither of them noticed the chakrams flash into his hand, but Stefa, wiping away her tears, did. "Axel?"

Naminé turned back, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not Axel."

"What do you mean? Of course I am." The expression on his face was hurt, but it wasn't hurt enough to look like a true emotion.

Chain of Memories flashed into Naminé's hand. "Zexion!"

"Zexion? But Riku said that Zexion would never fight with his own hands," remembered Kairi, confused, as she recalled her keyblade.

"I wouldn't under normal circumstances," replied Zexion as the imageof Axel faded into his own appearance. "These days, there seem to be few normal circumstances in the Organization. It would be fun to avenge my fellow's defeat, though, so..." A black book appeared in his hand. "Let's do this."

Stefa attempted to steel herself, forgetting thoughts of Jewel's Grove, Quince, and her little cousin without a heart. "If we keep doing fight after fight, I think I might not last," she mumbled as Shadow Heart appeared into her hand. None of them had ever witnessed the Schemer fight and had little idea of what to expect.

**XxX**

The battle with Saïx was becoming rather tedious. Any time that he got annoyed by their ganging up on him, he summon a gust of wind to knock everyone back. Nalani wiped blood away from her lip as the wind knocked her into a wall. "_Damn it_!"

Her ears pounding with blood, she heard Roxas speaking, as if from a distance, "There _is_ a positive to all of this, at least Saïx can't use the power of Kingdom Hearts to go into his Berserker mode."

"That is a positive," Riku admitted, "but not much of one. His defense is higher than usual." Nalani became thoughtful. If Saïx was spiking up his defense by keeping them away, why not bring him closer?

She raised her staff into the air as she ran to the front of the group, everyone staring at her as if she were crazy. "Magnega!" **(A/N: I've never used the Magnet magic in my playing of Kingdom Hearts II, so I hope that's the correct form) **Saïx, who had been watching their struggle to make a plan with amusement, felt his body getting drawn forward. It was almost as if Nalani's staff was attached to a gigantic magnet.

"What _is_ this?" he hissed as he tried to hold his ground with his claymore. His body was finally dragged toward Nalani; he fell on all fours at her feet. A cruel grin slowly spread across her face as Sora put his keyblade to Saïx's throat.

"It's about time that _you're_ the one on your knees for _me_."

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," said Roxas as he took up a spot beside Sora. With cat-like speed, both wielders struck at Saïx with three keyblades, knocking him against one of the cement walls.

**XxX**

There was something shocking about Zexion refusing to fight as he was quite good at it. Kairi, Naminé, . Zexion's Lexicon had transformed into Kairi's Keyblade; It would have been comical to see him wielding the Keyblade had the three Princesses not been losing badly. The Schemer sniffed at the air, a cold smirk making his facial expression seem even darker.

"Well, well. It seems that Number VII is meeting his end." Zexion closed his eyes and shook his head. "It was foolish of him to come here." He opened them again and looked up the path where he had knocked the girls. "I had better finish up before they come looking for you."

When Stefa finally got up, she no longer saw Zexion standing and waiting; Instead, the old Quince, the Quince who could utilize darkness, was standing there. The familiar crimson red Keyblade was dangling in his right hand. Stefa's eyes narrowed into a deep glare as she ran forward angrily. "Don't be rash!" Naminé called after Stefa had come right before Zexion, but it seemed that her words hadn't been heard.

"What does this remind you of?" asked Zexion quietly as he stabbed the Keyblade into Stefa's gut somewhat at the same time she had been following through with a slash to Zexion. Stefa grimaced at the memory, temporarily just holding her Keyblade in midair as she remained momentarily shocked. Naminé, cheaply using a portal some would say, had appeared behind Zexion and knocked him off balance with a swing from Chain of Memories. As Zexion fell to the side a little, he withdrew the Keyblade with a small sickening noise; His glamour fell once again and he became himself.

"Maybe this battle isn't the smartest one for you to battle?" Kairi's groggily voice suggested as she came up behind Stefa. Embarrassed at her silliness, Stefa pushed her bangs out of her face, and shook her head.

"No way. I'm not leaving you two alone." said she with a firm tone. "I got stabbed in the gut, you have to imagine that surprised me." Kairi stared at her with a hard expression, but it soon softened when she realized that Stefa wouldn't leave them.

"Alright." Kairi agreed. Beside Stefa, Naminé had begun to glow with a white light.

"Naminé?" Both girls asked at the same time. Zexion, holding his Lexicon, which was also glowing. In a large flash of light, Naminé's form was drawn into the book. Kairi and Stefa stared in shock.

"Naminé!" cried Kairi, angrily running forward, and striking, not at Zexion, but the Lexicon. She slashed at it several times with a mixture of anger and desperation. Stefa ran forward, and without thinking, held her Keyblade before her. A silver light shot out from the tip and hit the book. Kairi took a few steps backward as the Lexicon began to glow once again, but this time, it threw Naminé out of it. "Clever." Kairi complimented with a small smile.

"Aren't older Organization members supposed to be smarter than this?" Elie taunted the Berserker from where he lay on the ground. Without being able to go into Berserk mode, and with such good fighters on the other side, Saïx was losing rather badly. Glaring, Saïx got up and jabbed his Claymore into Elie's gut in one swift motion. Surprise etched Elie's face as she flew backward and violently clambered against one of the house's walls.

"Elie?" Leon called, worry clear in his tone. She weakly held up a hand to show that she was alright. Everyone else turned their attention back to Saïx, a beat too late. Saïx had already summoned a portal.

"Until next time," He said, bowing as he retreated into the portal.

"Coward." Ceron remarked rather bitterly as the portal disappeared. He turned to face everyone else. "Now what?"

"We should head for the Castle." Riku answered simply. He temporarily allowed Way to the Dawn to disappear before he ran off. Sora, Roxas, and Nalani followed behind him without hesitation.

"We'll take Elie inside." Cloud told Ceron, "Go scout out the Great Maw for us." Ceron nodded in agreement and also set off after the others.

Bolts of lightning struck just where Kairi had been standing a few minutes ago; Naminé was out still, even though they had rescued her from the book some minutes ago. "So he can steal our weapons, looks, powers, _and_ trap us into his little book? I'd call _that_ God-modish." Stefa bitterly remarked as the bottom of her jeans were singed by a badly aimed fira spell.

"At least he can't really aim." Kairi, always optimistic, remarked. Stefa had to agree with that; Otherwise they probably would have been defeated by now. They were still managing to hang on, which was amazing.

"You're not really all that hard to fight," Stefa said to Zexion, "but since you can copy anyone else, it makes you annoying." Zexion, obviously not liking that remark, called the Oblivion Keyblade to his free hand and ran forward to strike at the Princesses. Stefa blocked with Shadow Heart, holding two steady hands on the Keyblade, and pushed him off.

Kairi held out Angelic Destiny; A pure white beam of light shot out from the tip and pierced Zexion in the side. "Looks like I finally figured out how to channel my light through the Keyblade." The Princess remarked cheerfully. The light had been warm and very terrible on Zexion's skin; Bad enough to have actually pierced through the top layer of skin. Blood was covering many parts of the once delightful path; Stefa's stomach wound had caused a lot of it, but cuts that covered the Princesses' skin had caused a lot, too. Finally, Zexion's blood began to drip to the ground, too.

"This fight is useless." He growled, mostly unhappily, as he called upon a portal. Before he could enter it, Demyx's freaked out form stepped out of another one.

"That mouse king killed Lexaeus!" He exclaimed.

"_What_?" Zexion asked in a sharper voice than he had meant to use; Demyx jumped at the sound. "Sorry." The Schemer murmured.

"I tried to stop it, but then those three girls with the weird clothes attacked me." He explained, unable to fight the whimper from his voice.

"_There_ he is!" Rikku's excited voice shouted. Making their way up from the Castle Gates were the Gullwings: Rikku, Yuna, and Paine. Yuna pulled out her two pistols and took aim.

"Let's get back to the Castle." Zexion said to Demyx, who quickly pulled into his portal. When Zexion went to return to his own, he found Naminé standing in front of her own, his was long gone. "What is this?" Naminé smiled sweetly, an oddly unnerving thing, and knocked back the Schemer with her Keyblade. As Zexion was backed away from her, several pistols met the side of his body, thanks to Yuna.

Kairi grasped hands with Stefa, who nodded in understanding. They bent their arms inward a little, and made it so that their Keyblade tips met at an angle. **(A/N: Think of what shape this looks like: a heart.) **A light began to emit from their hands, as well as from the tips of their Keyblades; The white light intensified and covered their bodies, and the whole area for the records. Then, it shot outward, and hit Zexion squarely in the chest. For a few minutes, nothing could be seen of the area except for the blinding light.

When it faded, the Gullwings ran forward to see the outcome. Zexion was laying on the ground, his body dissolving into darkness; Stefa and Kairi were both on their knees, purely exhausted. Naminé took a few steps and bent over Zexion. For some reason, pity grasped at her heart as she held out her Chain of Memories Keyblade. "Sorry." she murmured so quietly that only Zexion could hear her. He rolled his eyes as a light shot out from the tip of her Keyblade and hit Zexion where his heart would be; He began to fade faster.

"Take care of Number XIII, he needs it." The Schemer commented before fading away completely.

Riku, Nalani, Sora, and Roxas had stopped at the top of the bailey to shield their eyes from the blinding light. "What was that?" Nalani murmured as she began to run down the steps, and that's when she realized she was alone. Riku, Roxas, and Sora had simply jumped over the wall, putting them ahead of her. The mage heaved a sigh as she jumped over a wall, and followed after them.

"Rikku!" Sora called, spotting the Gunner first. She turned around and smiled; That was a good sign.

"It's good to see you all in one piece." Paine remarked when they had joined them. A white light had engulfed Kairi, Stefa, and Naminé, healing them.

"Thank you, Yuna." said Kairi with a small smile. Angelic Destiny disappeared in a flash of light, as did Shadow Heart and Chain of Memories.

"What happened?" Roxas asked as he crouched before Naminé, who was sitting on the ground beside Kairi and Stefa.

"Zexion equals defeated." Stefa answered, smiling triumphantly.

"Lexaeus, too." Naminé added.

"The King's here." Kairi stated, remembering what Demyx had said.

"He is?" Sora asked with surprise, but Riku simply smiled.

"Of course he wouldn't stand by and let the Radiant Garden be taken over." He stated, holding out a hand for Stefa.

"We couldn't seal the keyhole." She told Riku with a frown. "That Organization member said something about it being unsealed with deep darkness by Reixka." Riku nodded in understanding.

"In that case... I might be able to lock it." He said.

"Oh, no." A quiet voice said from above; no one had heard or noticed his presence. The cloaked figure rose their arm, and as the group headed up the path, they were abruptly stopped by an invisible barrier. "You may find it wiser to go check out the Great Maw, it seems there's, ah... Trouble brewing." The unsuspecting group looked up abruptly, no one else had that voice beside Xemnas. 

"Xemnas!" Sora, Roxas, and Riku shouted in unison; Their Keyblades had materialized back in their head.

"C'mon, let's head for the Great Maw!" Rikku urged them, suddenly unnerved by Organization member Number I's words.

"It's not like you can reach him, anyway," added Paine cooly. Glaring daggers at the Superior, the boys reluctantly agreed, and the group of them headed for the Great Maw.

"Oh. My. God." Nalani was staring in disbelief. The group was inside of the fissure cave, and staring at the large canyon ahead of them with shock. More than a million heartless and nobodies were filling the area.

"I think we might need back up." Kairi stated, shaking her head in disbelief. Yuna pointed out several areas in the canyon.

"I think they're way ahead of us." The former summoner stated; Sure enough, Cloud and Leon could be seen fighting back to back on top of one part of the canyon, Yuffie and Tifa were fighting on the other, Ceron could be made out fighting inside of the canyon, a large flame shot out of one part of the canyon showing Axel was there, King Mickey was taking out heartless and nobodies alike with the aid of Donald and Goofy, and even Cid could be seen fighting off heartless with a large spear. Stefa was staring at the scene with awe.

"Let's go help them out." said Sora earnestly. He had done a one thousand heartless battle before, but this looked a _lot_ more exciting.

"Promise me you won't get yourself in a position where I have to rescue your butt, again." Riku smirked. Sora made a face, grabbed Kairi's hand, and entered the fray. Kairi glanced backward a purely terrified expression.

"We're right behind you." Roxas assured the auburn-haired girl as he gently grabbed Naminé's hand. Then, the two of them ran after Kairi and Sora.

"Yay! A real fight, finally!" cried Rikku happily, practically jumping after the four. Yuna laughed and Paine shook her head.

"We'd better follow her before she does something stupid." The warrior commented before she and Yuna also entered the fray.

"Can we really do this?" Stefa asked Riku and Nalani nervously. Nalani shared her look of apprehension only her chocolate eyes were burning with determination.

"Don't worry, Stef, we can do anything together." Her friend assured her, giving her a quick hug. "EaKaze."The intricate staff appeared in a flash of orange light. "See you on the other side!"

"I'm still not so sure about this." Stefa murmured uncertainly.

Riku chuckled and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. "You've already been chosen by a Keyblade, so it's a little too late for second thoughts." He joked as he called Way to the Dawn forth. His expression softened. "We'll go together." Stefa stared at him for a minute before nodding in agreement.

"Alright." Shadow Heart materialized into her hand as they also headed for the Great Maw.

"This is exhausting." Kairi noted as she ran at a Large Body headfirst; She was bounced back as its stomach jiggled.

"Attack them from the back, Kai." Sora told her with a chuckle as he jumped and attacked the heartless from behind. Looking rather confused, the large body disappeared in a cloud of dust, a captive heart floating toward the sky. Kairi frowned, unhappy that she hadn't been able to do that. Her violet eyes suddenly widened at the sight of an Assassin Nobody.

"Sora!" She exclaimed, pushing him hastily out of the way and blocking its attack with her Keyblade. "Lazy bum." Kairi taunted her boyfriend as she took several swings at the nobody and killed it. Sora stared at her with shock.

"Wow, thanks, Kai, that was a close one." said he sheepishly. Kairi ran forward and crushed her lips against his. Sora stared in shock a second before he returned it, Kairi's arms wrapping around his neck.

"Sorry to interrupt the love fest, but in case you've forgotten, you're surrounded by millions of fiends after your hearts." Nalani said with amusement as the two blushed and broke apart.

"Oops." Kairi muttered, giggling. There was the sound of a metallic slash behind her and Sora; Ceron had just defeated a shadow that had been staring at them with a greedy expression.

"I wonder how long it will take for someone else to lose their heart?" asked Reixka from beside her. No doubt she was hoping for that someone to be Stefa.

"Soon enough, I'm sure." Marluxia's voice chimed in. "They can't defend their hearts forever." Reixka's eyes were practically burning a hole in Stefa's back; The two-sided heart Princess turned instinctively to see who was looking and met the similar face. Stefa glowered as she began to climb up the canyon's walls with Nalani hot on her heels, casting thundaga on the Heartless that got in her way.

"Stefa! Nalani!" Riku sighed, heading after them, and getting stopped by a wall of Large Bodies. "The hell?" He growled angrily, jumping over them by pushing one a little to get over, and heading up the side of the canyon.

Stefa reached the top of the canyon without too much trouble. She was panting from the effort, but was satisfied when she saw the three Organization Members. "I think you're ass has been kicked enough for one day, so make it easy on yourself and come with me." It wasn't something that Stefa wanted to say, but she knew it had to be said. She took a few steps forward and held out her hand. "Reixka, I know you don't really hate me, you're just jealous. You want to become whole, and I can help." Reixka stared at her, and took a step forward; That was surprising.

She quickly withdrew her hand as a scythe slashed at the spot where it had been. Marluxia stood before her, looking cross. Larxene summoned a portal and pushed Reixka inside before she joined Marluxia. "This looks oddly familiar." Larxene spoke quietly. Flashes of a memory passed into Stefa's head: Lots of blood, bodies, and two Organization members standing inside of a train station.

"And once you again you're alone." Marluxia added, taking a step and swinging the scythe again, Stefa fell backward, and saw surprised expressions on the Organization members' faces as a hand yanked her up.

Nalani was grinning. "Are you stupid? First you try to take on a God by yourself and now two Organization members? Why don't I ever get invited to join the fun?"

* * *

**A/N: I was too lazy to edit this completely, but I did edit out that important thing: Elie turning into a Heartless.  
**


	19. Even if I Pass From Your Heart Tomorrow

**A/N: Friendship is obviously golden. xD A good friend will follow you wherever you go, but a best friend will save you from falling off a cliff and then help you fight two of the scariest Organization XIII members. x3 Now, here's Nalani for the disclaimer that I have been forgetting:**

**Nalani: Lolli doesn't own the Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy members. She owns the OCs (including awesome me) and the plot (which needs some work ;D)**

**Lolli: Gee, thanks Nalani. You know, you can't have been modeled after my best friend.**

**Seldomknown: Sure, she could have been. :D**

**Larxene: Can you idiots get on with the story? **

**Zexion and Lexaeus: Now that we've faded into darkness (again) what do we do?**

**Marluxia: Shut up. :3**

**Seldomknown: OhmaiGoofy, Marluxia! -Glomps-**

**Larxene: -Growls- Mine.**

**Moving on, before they all kill each other...**

* * *

"Can I take the pretty one?" Nalani asked as she and Stefa stood side to side, staring at Marluxia and Larxene. Stefa looked sideways at her.

"Which one do you consider pretty?" She asked, fighting back a laugh.

"The pink-haired one, of course." Nalani replied as if it were obvious. Larxene let out a snarl and ran at Nalani. Stefa met her halfway and knocked her back with Shadow Heart.

"I guess it's about time for a rematch." Larxene's eyes narrowed as she threw her kunai at Stefa.

"It's your funeral." said the Nymph. With her cat-like speed, she skillfully punched Stefa several times, and then kicked her to the side.

Marluxia impatiently swung his scythe at Nalani, but, like a monkey, she continued to jump over it. "You aren't playing jump-rope." He growled, summoning vines from the ground to seize her.

"Silly Flowerchild." Nalani said in a sweet voice as she held up the staff of EaKaze. "Firaga." The fire began to turn the vines to ashes, but a wave of water washed it away before anymore were destroyed. Sure enough, there was Demyx leaning against his sitar with a smile that showed his teeth. "Ooh, Guitar Hero!"

Demyx held up his sitar and strummed a chord, "Dance, water, dance!" Instantly, about fifty water clones strode toward Nalani and Stefa, while Marluxia and Larxene backed off.

"Water clones? The hell?" Stefa asked no one in particular as she slashed at one, and got soaked in water when she had defeated it. Nalani, angry that her thunder spells seemed to keep missing, got back to back with Stefa, and began to beat the clones with her staff. Like Stefa, Nalani got soaked after defeating one.

"That's annoying." She said, destroying another one with her staff.

"This is amusing, water conducts electricity." Larxene muttered, her sadistic smile returning to her. She thrust her hand into the air, lightning bolts shooting out and striking Nalani, Stefa, and the water clones. Stefa and Nalani fell, slightly paralyzed, while all of the rest of the water clones were defeated.

"My clones." Demyx pouted in Larxene's direction. She waved him off.

"Now we have them right where we want them." She explained, striding forward with some more kunai. A Keyblade was thrown at her, knocking her backward and forming a cut on her left arm. "Huh?" Way to the Dawn stabbed into the ground, and instantly reappeared in its master's hand. Riku was smirking.

"Learn to fight fair."

"We _don't_ fight fair." Marluxia stated, sending about twenty vines at the former denizen of darkness. The vines were wiped out by a bath of fire from EaKaze.

"I learned that much in Castle Oblivion." Riku growled as Nalani blew at the top of her staff.

"Water beats fire," Demyx said in a fairly childish way.

"Lightning beats water." Nalani smirked, baffling the blond sitar player. He rubbed his head, trying to come up with a comeback, and failing miserably.

"Phail." Stefa said, skillfully running forward to take on Demyx; She liked Demyx, he wasn't as scary as the other two.

"Guess I'll take on Marluxia." Riku decided, running forward and defending himself with Way to the Dawn as Marluxia slammed his scythe downward. Nalani rolled her eyes and groaned.

"So I have to take on bug woman?" She sighed. "This will be a challenge, but nothing I can't handle."

Demyx lifted up his sitar to block Stefa's relentless strikes. "No fair." Demyx whined. He jumped backward and strummed another string; Large bubbles began to fall from the sky. Stefa wasn't sure how badly they would hurt, but if he could use them, they were probably bad. She held up Shadow Heart and practically hid underneath is as she tried to block all of the large bubbles.

Marluxia disappeared in a flash of rose petals and reappeared behind Riku, where he struck at him with the scythe. Riku, caught surprisingly off guard, didn't know what had hit him until he felt the strike and burning pain that came with it. He tried to wave off the pain, but only managed to hold back from screaming in agony and instead shouted. Nalani and Stefa turned to see what had happened, and both winced at the pain the silver-haired boy must have felt. Stefa turned away from Demyx and headed straight for Marluxia, holding Shadow Heart high.

The Assassin hastily pulled his scythe out of Riku's back, but even that didn't stop Stefa from slamming her Keyblade hard against his body. Marluxia was knocked backward, and almost fell off of the cliff. _Almost_. He disappeared in a flurry of rose petals once again. Stefa knelt down behind Riku and pointed her Keyblade at his wound. "Curaga." She murmured. She watched with relief as the wound began to close.

Stefa sighed with relief, but her relief was short lived. A portal appeared behind her, a hand grabbed her, and then there was darkness.

Riku turned around abruptly when Stefa's presence had faded. There was no one there. "Stefa...?" Nalani raised her staff, a dark light fell over her body as her staff changed color. Part of the ground rose before Larxene, Marluxia, and Demyx; All three of them were standing in a line. It formed a wall of rock that separated them from Riku and Nalani. The mage then turned to find Riku staring dumbly into the distance.

"Riku? Where's Stefa?" She asked. Riku slowly turned to face her, and something inside of her dropped. "Is she okay?" He didn't answer or do anything, so Nalani angrily turned back to face the wall. She swiped her staff to the side so that the wall broke apart and large rocks dropped on the three Organization members. Then, she swiped it again and the wall behind the organization members also broke. "If they all survive that..."

It was oddly white where she was. White went on for miles, and years; This was not a room, or a place, it was nothing. Nothingness. "I'll make things very easy for you." A deep voice spoke in her ear. "Give me a heart, and I will call off the attack in the Radiant Garden. If you don't, I will have your friends all tortured before you, and then I shall kill you." Stefa didn't like this voice. She tried to move away, but a death grip was on her neck, causing her head to arch backward out of reaction.

Her eyes met amber ones burning with ambition and thirst. "Do we have a deal, Princess?" A voice was yelling inside of her, telling her no, but she didn't care. Stefa swallowed hard and nodded, unable to speak because her words were lost. His hand slowly released her neck, and she turned to face Xemnas. Stefa put two hands to his chest, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

_'You moron.'_ A very familiar voice spoke in her head. _'Your chivalry is wasted.'_

_'Well, you always talked about what a waste I was.'_ Stefa thought right back, tears burning her closed eyes as she felt a strange power well up inside of her.

Stefa awoke, gasping, in the dark depths on the cliff where Sephiroth had killed Aerith just two years prior. She looked around, wondering if it had been a dream, but she somehow knew it had been real. If it had been a dream, she still would have been with Riku and Nalani... Had she really given in? Yes. Disappointment welled inside of her as she stood up and exited the area.

The Great Maw was rather... empty. No more armies of heartless and nobodies. There was a group of people standing in the middle of it, though. "Hi!" Stefa called out without really realizing what she was doing. They turned and looked at her with an expectant expression. "What's wrong?" She asked as she closed in on them, but then, something strange happened. A person passed through her, a certain brown-haired someone carrying a staff.

"Nothing." Nalani told them, shaking her head.

"Damn it, where could she be?" Axel asked, looking around hopefully like Stefa would jump out and say that she had been pulled a joke on them, but even she couldn't use a portal.

"Who? Guys? What's wrong?" Stefa asked urgently, waving her hand in front of Nalani's face. "Nalani? Hello? Best friend? Hi!" But Nalani made no indication that she noticed the hand waving in front of her.

"You look like a retard down there." A voice called from the cliffside. Stefa followed it with her eyes and saw an amused Quince smirking down at her. He mimicked her in a squeaky voice. Quince jumped down, a fifty foot jump, and landed before Stefa without a problem.

"What did you _do_?" She demanded. Stefa remembered only too well that Quince was a time-stopper like Naminé, only this time, it seemed she was in a totally different dimension looking in through the looking-glass.

"Nothing. Geez, Stef, I'd figure you'd trust me by now. Haven't I redeemed myself yet?" He asked, frowning. She stared at him, obviously not believing a word he was saying. "I save you from death, and _this_ is how I'm repaid?"

"You're not even real." Stefa accused, slapping his arm. Instead of her arm going straight through him, it hit his skin. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes opened widely.

"It seems you've been sent here, too." Quince muttered face although his amused expression returned at the look on Stefa's face.

"W-where's here?" She stuttered.

"It's another realm, I guess. Kind of. A torturous place, really. You can look at your love ones and hear them, but they can't see you. It's kind of like being a ghost." Quince told her.

"All of this because I gave Xemnas a freaking heart? I gave Roxas and Naminé hearts and I was fine!" Stefa exploded with rage. Quince nodded.

"I remember that. Naminé saved you from a terrible fate." He practically muttered the last part under his breath. "You've never given anyone a heart of almost complete darkness, though." Stefa blinked.

"Is Xemnas really _that_ evil?"

"Not necessarily," Quince replied. "The definition of evil depends on the person using it. Xemnas wanted a heart, and now he wants power." He paused. "Anyway, I can tell you right now that the reason why you're here is because you're supposed to use your 'powers' for good."

Stefa rolled her eyes at the cliché. "I'm not a super hero, Quince." Pushing her too long bangs out of her face, distantly wondering when she'd had her last haircut, she mumbled, "I don't like any of this, fix it."

Quince laughed, a beautiful sound to her ears. "I'd tell you it was a dream, but then I would be lying." He said sympathetically. "But, I can tell you this, not all hope is lost." Stefa blinked and looked up at the noticeably taller boy.

"Really?" She asked, perking up immediately. Quince laughed once more and nodded.

"You'll be surprised to know this, but ever world has its light, darkness, and nothingness. We're in the Radiant Garden, technically, but we're in the nothingness part of it." He explained. "It's confusing, I know, but try to stay with me. If we can find the tiny thread in this world where nothingness links to the light, we can probably get out of here."

"Wow, look at that." Stefa murmured, a smirk appearing on her face, "Pessimistic Quince turns to Optimistic Quince at the drop of a hat. Are you sure you're not bipolar." He responded by ruffling her hair, fondly and roughly.

"It's weird how everything disappeared without a trace." Kairi commented. Everyone was still in the Great Maw, due to the fact that Nalani, Cloud, Riku, Naminé, and Roxas continuously insisted they stayed.

"We can't stop looking here... Something tells me that we're so close..." Nalani had said, and with the back up of four other people, everyone had been forced to agree.

"Yeah," Sora answered Kairi's comment with a nod. "They just disappeared in the blink of an eye for no apparent reason."

"Why do you think the five of them keep insisting we stay here?" Leon asked of Yuffie. She smiled as she grasped his hand.

"Squall, the light is never too far away. Riku is Stefa's light, but at the same time, the five of them are also her light and she is theirs. Maybe she's somehow here but not? It's hard to explain." The great ninja admitted sheepishly. She had never tried to make logic out of much of anything before.

Nalani was now desperately searching one of the cliff sides, lifting up unliftable rocks with her magic, and checking even the smallest cracks. "Stefa! Stefa, if you don't come back, I will eat you." **(A/N: Inside joke. xD) **"Stefa! Come on!"

"Wow. They really must miss you." Quince stated as they walked toward the Dark Depths, Nalani's pleads beginning to soften. "Why?" He added, smirking, as he looked down at the Princess. She grinned and elbowed him in the stomach.

"This place is nice. No heartless or anything."

"But plenty of Nobodies." He told her. "This is the realm of Nothingness after all." The Princess seemed surprised at this.

"And the others can't see them?"

"Nope."

"That sucks." Stefa complained. Quince chuckled. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed her company, especially after being separated for so long. But she was with Riku now; Hell, she had been with Riku when he had kissed her. Now he kind of wondered if Stefa had ever mentioned. Oh. Wait. When would she have mentioned it? That is, of course, if she remembered. It was so hard not falling in love with her, but Quince fought against it.

"Why were we called back so quickly?" Marluxia asked the Superior from his seat in the meeting room. He flexed his right wrist and winced. He, Larxene, and Demyx had received quite a bit of damage from the rock fall, and Reixka hadn't been able to really help all that much. Xemnas smiled; It was chilling like his old one, but now it seemed real.

"It's time to set the second part of our plan into motion." He announced. "The two-sided Princess has been thrown into nothingness, and she cannot stop us now."

_'She could never have stopped us in the first place.'_ Larxene thought to herself, not daring to say anything aloud. "So soon?" She heard herself ask. Xemnas surveyed her with an amused expression. "Sorry." Larxene murmured acidly and quietly.

"So what are we looking for?" Stefa asked, annoyed, sometime later when her and Quince were standing before the 'heartless castle'. "A rip in midair with light?"

"Very funny. Don't question my intelligence." He replied, smirking, and gently pushed her aside. Stefa grinned and jumped on his back.

"I'm tired, carry me." Quince laughed.

"Consider yourself lucky that there's not any water nearby."

"I am a lucky bitch. Happy?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Very." He answered as he grabbed her legs and held them. "And, as for your question, I have no idea what we're looking for, but I think we'll know what it is when we see it."

"Will we now? What a relief. In that case, I think you're going the wrong way because I don't see anything."

"Stefa, don't make me throw you into the ocean; I will, you know." Quince stated as he turned around and headed back for the Great Maw. "Or, better yet, I'll make you carry me." Stefa shuddered at the idea.

"That would break my neck for sure."

Behind them, the heartless symbol glittered with a white light.

* * *

**A/N: This is short. xDD I know. And surprising, right? A lot of the chapter will have Quince and Stefa in it, sooo you'll have to bear with me because I don't want anyone else to leave the Radiant Garden. x3 See you next chapter. **


	20. Images That Resemble Memories

**A/N: I know that at least two people are guaranteed to have been happy with the last chapter (the same two who were in love with Quince almost as much as I was). From now on, you may not a big deal of drama in here... Heh. :D Note that I said I would never bring Quince back... Look at how easily I cave in to my own wants. xD**

**Well, guess where else Quince is hanging out at? He's actually in my friend, Seldomknown3's, new fanfiction: "The Blue Hour Awakens" It's about a Keyblade war, andandand you all should go and read it. :D**

**Sorry this update took so long, guys. x.x School was hectic. Seriously. But because of today, I've started the first chapter for the next fanfic. xDDD**

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"I'm glad that we're being assaulted by Nobodies now." Stefa's sarcastic voice echoed throughout the Marketplace. Quince struck at a dusk twice with his Maybe Memories keyblade before it actually disappeared. "I forgot how tough these things were." She added upon completely missing a Dusk that was at least ten centimeters away from where she hit. The Dusk retaliated by curling around her ankles and knocking her into one of the fountains.

"Nice work." Quince called to his friend, "You okay?"

"Perfect." She murmured, climbing out of the fountain completely and totally soaked. "I think we went the wrong way."

"You can't keep _saying_ that, Stef." He said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Trust me. I think I saw something back in the Dark Depths when we left."

"And you mention it, _now_?" Quince was just now remembering how scatter-brained she was. "The number of Nobodies isn't going down, so we'd better run." He reached out and grabbed Stefa's wrist not unkindly, and they began to head all the way back to make their way back to the other side of the world. Stefa smoothed out her wet bangs over her forehead. Like before, her left eye was covered by the longer part of her bangs, and part of her right eye, too.

"You know what? If you could call upon a portal still, that would be beautiful." Stefa remarked as they passed through the Great Maw. She ignored the shouts of everyone with great effort; It was hard not to respond when people were shouting your name so desperately. Droplets of water fell from Stefa's hair as they made their way through the canyon.

"If I could call upon the portal still, no one would have been separated." Quince reminded her. Stefa hung her head in silence. The guilt and loneliness she had felt for so long had melted into numbness long before Riku, Sora, Kairi, Naminé, and Roxas came to her world. "Sorry." He said quickly upon noticing Stefa's expression. "I saw what all of that did to you. I guess it's no fun being alone."

"And losing your parents, and thinking that you lost your best friend. Friends, I should say." She added. "Oh, that's right. Nalani is probably going to go _crazy_ when she sees you." Quince chuckled.

_'I wonder how Riku will feel about me being around_.' He thought as they reached the end of the Great Maw. Instead of turning right to go up to the cliff top of the Dark Depths, they continued left where the rock layers formed gigantic steps that they had to jump down. Stefa was deep in thought as they neared the Castle.

With Quince back, how would everything be? The possibilities hurt her head so badly. She had missed him so much, but Riku... "Ugh." Stefa murmured under her breath. As usual, Quince didn't miss a beat.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Being wet." Stefa lied. "It's annoying, keeps making me slip in these big ass shoes." She pointed down to her white shoes with the pink 'V'. They made her a lot taller.

Quince knew she wouldn't tell him the truth, so he changed the subject as they came before the castle. "What was it you saw?" He asked although it was unnecessary. The heartless symbol was glittering. Stefa, without knowing why, pointed Shadow Heart upward. To their surprise, a silver beam shot out from the tip and entered the heart. Instead of appearing as the heartless symbol or keyhole, it was a perfect heart-shape. The beam entered the heart and stayed; She must have had to do something more.

Once again, without knowing why, she turned the Keyblade sideways like she was unlocking a door; Another beam shot out of the symbol in reply and engulfed Stefa in a golden light. Quince let out a low whistle, at which point Stefa noticed only she was engulfed in the light. "Wait! Quince!" She cried, suddenly terrified to be left without him again. Even as she held out her hand, she could see herself fading away.

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She was flying fast and swift toward the ground, and that was how Stefa thought she was going to die. Well, then the ground turned into water, so Stefa wasn't as worried by breaking anything. Drowning was always a possibility, though. Stefa crashed underwater. Light was shining above, and she swam toward it.

When she broke surface, Stefa noted that she was in the Radiant Garden again. Or still? Again? Still? So why had she fallen from the _sky_. "My life gets weirder all the time." she murmured. Conveniently enough, she had broke surface right next to the ladder in the Marketplace. She climbed it, slipping at times when she moved too fast, and jumped over the wall. The marketplace was still empty, making her wonder if she had just been sent to the beginning of the world.

She ran through the Marketplace, slipping as she went. The one sure fire way to know if she was crazy or not was to go back to the Great Maw. Stefa coughed, her lungs filled with saltwater. She was overwhelmed by so many thoughts right now, but the one that she was going with was to get to the Great Maw in one piece. "Why can't I call a portal?" Stefa growled out of agitation when she had made it to the Bailey, panting. There was still a long way to go. "Maybe I should make someone come to me."

Stefa thought this was probably a bad idea, so she forced herself onward, jumping over the wall in the Bailey, and landed on all fours on the pavement below.

"This is getting repetitively annoying." She remarked. Finally, Stefa had made it to the Great Maw, and was breathing heavily. No one seemed to notice her, so apparently that whole, 'there's a thread that will blah blah blah' was wrong. Stefa would remember to get Quince for that. Muttering darkly under her breath and dragging her wet body through the Great Maw, she totally ignored it when Yuffie had yelled her name.

Then more of them were yelling her name. That was really starting to give her a headache. She was still staring at the ground, muttering darkly, and dripping wet when she knocked into a body. When she looked up, she was both deeply disappointed and very happy to see it was Quince.

"How can you ignore your friends like that? It's terrible." He mocked with folded arms.

"Stop joking, Quince, you and I both know you aren't funny." Stefa said, punching him in the arm, lightly. The way she was acting reminded her of the old her, the carefree one.

"Honestly, Stefa." Kairi's voice rang from behind her. She had her hands on her hips, and, looking at her, she reminded Sora and Riku of the fourteen-year old Kairi. Stefa whirled around.

"Oh my Goofy, you guys are _real_!" She squealed, but was talking so quickly that her words had run together. Stefa ran backward and embraced Kairi tightly, causing the auburn-haired girl to get wet.

"Now I'm both unhappy _and_ wet." Kairi joked, returning the embrace.

"Well, well, well. Wake the dead." Axel commented upon spotting Quince. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. So much attention was a killer. In fact, he was expecting more than half of the time to _kill_ him, but they all just stared. Nalani ran forward and practically tackled Quince; He fell to the ground and groaned.

"You still have a tackle that can rival a pro football player, I see." He commented.

"Sorry." Nalani said only half-heartedly before she turned back to Stefa. She wanted to both scold her and hug her to death. Well, she could always do both. The mage skipped forward and tackled both Kairi _and_ Stefa to the ground.

"Why me?" Kairi asked although she was half-laughing.

"Because you were there!" Was the reply from a very cheerful Nalani. "Now, I scold." She rolled off of the two girls, but hugged Stefa around the neck. "You. Are. So. Stupid." Stefa frowned.

"Why now?"

"You got sucked into a portal and left, that's why!" Nalani replied in a cross voice. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized that they sounded better in her head.

"Oh, phew. I thought it..." Suddenly realizing what she was saying, Stefa quickly closed her mouth.

"_What_?" Nalani asked sharply. "What did you do?" Stefa looked up into Nalani's chocolate brown eyes and then at everyone else, who had closed in on them.

"I may or may not have given a heart to the Superior of Organization XIII."

The day just got worse after that.

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After being yelled at for being so 'foolish' by most of the restoration committee and her friends, things didn't improve. Well, at least, one good thing was there. Riku had been able to seal the keyhole, probably because of his Keyblade's type. After this statement, the group struggled to think about what the Organization's next move could be. Axel and Roxas had no problem declaring that the others would probably be outraged that only Xemnas had a heart.

"Maybe there will be a lot of betrayals." Yuffie suggested cheerfully.

"Demyx will probably leave..." Roxas said. "I think all he's ever wanted is a heart; He hates fighting."

"It doesn't matter who stays and who leaves," Cloud remarked. "Xemnas has his heart now, so whatever he was planning to do will probably be done now. Even with just him in the Organization, things would be dangerous."

"Not that anyone _would_ leave." Axel added. "If Xemnas is doing something that would make him all-powerful, they'd want to stick with him to save their own asses."

"Not to mention a lot of them _like_ doing evil deeds." Quince stated. "Especially Larxene, Marluxia, and Saïx." Several at the table shuddered.

"Until we can find anything out, I suggest you guys continue to re-lock the worlds." Leon told them.

"Can we go this time?" Nalani asked in a pleading voice.

"I second that! It's boring here." Ceron added.

"Gee, thanks." Tifa murmured. Just then, Cid entered the kitchen. He was wearing the same look as he had right when they were told Twilight Town had been destroyed.

"Which world?" asked Riku, preparing himself for the worst. Cid rubbed the back of his head.

"Destiny Islands."

Naminé, Roxas, and Axel had been terrified to hear the news, but their reactions were nothing in comparison to Kairi, Sora, and Riku's. That was their home. They had already had it taken from them once, and now it was gone again. Sora had proclaimed that they go to End of the World immediately, but Kairi, through tears, had told him that they had a duty to fulfill and it had come first.

It was unanimous that they stay the night for the sake of keeping sanity. Stefa spent some time with Riku before dinner and then an hour after. When he told her that he was going to sleep, she had decided to go ahead and take a walk around town while the sun was setting. Quince had been filled in on everything that everyone knew, and he was very unhappy to learn that Jewel's Grove had been destroyed.

Stefa was joined by Nalani on her way out of the house, so the two of them decided to walk together. "Wow. Quince is back. It still seems so weird to say." Nalani remarked. They were sitting on the wall of the Borough, beside the Bailey, so that they could see the beautiful sunset.

"You're telling me." Stefa said, half-laughing. "I'm still trying to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"So this is a dream you'd like to have." Nalani remarked, grinning.

"What?" Stefa asked, her eyebrows furrowing together. Nalani laughed, but sobered up quickly.

"Say, do you think Quince still likes you?" This question, so surprising, almost caused Stefa to fall off of the wall and plummet to her death. She had to admit, though, she had been wondering about it to.

"I have no idea. He's been acted kind of brotherly toward me, though, so I don't know."

"Well, you said he had a big brother thing going on, right?" Nalani smiled at her own choice of words. "I guess it would be nicer to say he was watching over you. Anyway, he must know Riku and you are together." Stefa's heart fell into her stomach. Quince was one known to put up a front when he knew he couldn't have something he wanted. Stefa swallowed hard at the thought of Quince still being in love with her.

"Stefa!" Nalani practically shouted to gain her friend's attention. Stefa blinked a few times when she realized that Nalani was speaking to her.

"Yeah?"

"...You still like him." Nalani said, half-surprised and half-pleased. Stefa's cheeks grew red.

"Like a brother." She insisted. Nalani waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah sure."

"What about you and Ceron?" Stefa pressed. This time Nalani blushed.

"This conversation will be known to no one."

"Agreed." said Stefa.

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The next morning, several Gummi Ships were dispatched, after Cid complaining about having to build more. Sora, Kairi, and Riku were in one. Stefa, Naminé, and Quince in another. Ceron, Nalani, and Roxas were in the last. Riku, Sora, and Kairi had decided to stick to together after what had happened to their Islands since they were still very depressed over it all. Although both Stefa and Nalani had fought with Cid over the fact that they were separated from each other, they had lost and he he won.

"Stupid old pilot. Why am I calling him a pilot? He can't navigate one of these to _save his life_!" Stefa was not just ranting, either. Two years previously, Cid had proven how great he was at flying a Gummi Ship by crashing it into Traverse Town with Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie inside of it.

"Stefa, breathe." Roxas ordered the Princess over the transmission; Sora, Riku, and Kairi quietly stayed out of it.

"So where are we going again?" Quince asked. "And remind me why we're letting Stefa drive while she's angry."

"You're going to a place called 'Andy's House'," Kairi's (**A/N: Damn it, I almost did my own name again. D:) **voice chimed in over the transmission. "It's new." She added.

"Sounds like we're going to someone's house." Stefa stated smartly. Quince hit her on the back of the head.

"Wherever did you get that idea?"

"We're going to the Pride Lands." Nalani stated, before realizing she had once heard the name. "That's where Simba, Nala, and Kiara live!"

"And we're going to the Deep Jungle." Sora announced.

"Great, so we're the only ones that are going to a brand new world?" Stefa's voice sighed over the transmission; Riku chuckled quietly.

"'Fraid so."

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Naminé, Stefa, and Quince noticed there was something very different about this world when they were beamed down onto a bed, but that's not what gave it away. What gave it away was Quince's clothes, at first. He was still wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans, but he was also wearing a black vest with a star on the back, a black cowboy hat that was tilted over one eye, and big black boots with spurs on the back. "You're a cowboy!" Naminé said as Stefa fought down a laugh.

"You two are plastic." He retaliated.

"Huh?" Stefa asked. She grabbed Naminé's wrist and jumped off of the bed and onto a desk beside the bed. They walked over to the window and looked at their reflections. Naminé and Stefa were definitely plastic, but they were also wearing some clothes that could put sluts to shame. Stefa was wearing a too-short white miniskirt and a pink top that only had one strap. Tied around her neck was a pink rose. Her shoes were pink sandals. Naminé was wearing white sandals with a flowing white skirt and a blue tank-top; She didn't look half-bad.

"Oh my God." Stefa muttered with disbelief as she stared at her reflection. "We're almost like Bratz dolls." **(A/N: I realize that Bratz weren't out at the same time as Toy Story 2, but stay with me here.)** Quince wasn't even bothering to hold back his laughter.

"Naminé _you_ look great," He said, causing the blonde to blush. "Stefa, you look like a--"

"Don't say it." Stefa snapped. Just then, a short and somewhat fat looking spaceman came up toward them. He had a plastic shield that was over his face and a green uniform. He was pointing some sort of laser at them.

"Uh-oh." Naminé murmured.

"State your names and business here." The spaceman ordered. Stefa and Naminé simply stared at him, so Quince replied.

"Quince, Stefa, and Naminé," He said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Have you seen any weird black shadows or white creatures around here lately?" Considering how he was always taunting Stefa, she was surprised to hear him being civil to the spaceman. The spaceman turned off his laser although his gaze remained suspicious.

"How did you know about those?" Naminé held up two hands in defense.

"We're here to help," She explained, "before the heartless destroy this world."

"Yoo-hoo!" A southern voice called from below. Quince, Stefa, Naminé, and the spaceman all leaned over the side of the table to see who it was. A tall young cowgirl with red yarn hair was waving up at them. "Since when did Andy get more dolls?" She asked the spaceman, who merely shook his head.

"I don't think they're from here; They seem to know about the black creatures infesting this place, though."

"Well, I gotta say that it's a dern good thing Andy went off to summer camp! These black things are suspicious." The cowgirl said with her southern accent.

"They're called heartless." Stefa stated.

"We'd better take you to the sheriff," The spaceman said as he jumped off of the table and skillfully landed on the wooden floor. "Come on." Quince, Naminé, and Stefa all exchanged looks before they jumped after him; Naminé and Stefa both fell flat on their faces while Quince landed easily on the ground.

"I'm Jessie, and this guy here's Buzz Lightyear." The cowgirl explained with a good-naturedly smile. Stefa and Naminé felt slightly less nervous and returned the smile. Quince, however, seemed to be very aware of his surroundings, waiting for something to attack.

"Nice to meet you." Naminé said with a nod. Stefa heard the girl introduced the three of them, but was more focused on something black moving toward a small sheep.

_'Oh my God. Are these heartless desperate or what?'_ Shadow Heart materialized in her hand and she ran forward, defeating the heartless with one slash. The sheep seemed to make an appreciative noise as a tall woman with blonde hair, a large dress, and a shepherdess crook came before the sheep. After checking out the sheep and becoming satisfied, the woman turned to Stefa with deep gratitude.

"Thank you so much, miss!" She cried as she squished Stefa into an awkward hug.

"Uhm, it was no problem." said Stefa sheepishly as she patted the Shepherdess on the back.

"My name is Bo Peep." The woman told her as she released Stefa from the hug.

"I'm Stefa."

"You're dead." A voice called from above. The voice was soft and the sentence that she had said seemed to have been forced. Standing on top of the bookshelf **(A/N: I hardly remember what Andy's room looks like, so try to stay with me here...) **was none other than Reixka with an angry Larxene beside her. While Reixka looked like she had just been turned smaller and still looked completely normal, Larxene looked a little bit... odd.

Larxene's hair was still the same, but her body looked shinier. Not to mention her outfit was completely different. She was wearing a short black skirt, black boots, and a blue t-shirt. Stefa burst into laughter at the sight. "You're a _Barbie_."

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"A keyhole to the heart of this world?" Nala asked. Roxas had just tried to explain things to the best of his ability about the hearts of worlds. Nalani, however, had strayed off to talk to Kiara, who was looking down.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Nalani, back in her lion form, asked as she nudged the cub.

"Dad still doesn't want me to see Kovu..." She murmured. "I don't understand it, he hates him for no reason..." Nalani frowned. Or at least, she tried to.

"If he doesn't hate him for a valid reason, then he'll get over it." She assured the cub. "Things will work out." Kiara's mood shot up from someone finally having confidence in her.

"Hey, thanks, Nalani!" Kiara said as she got to her feet. "I hope things go well with your journey." With that, the lion cub skipped off, unnoticed by others. Nalani realized that she might have just gone against the King's orders as the cub disappeared into the distance.

"Oops." She looked into Ceron's direction. He was boredly slashing at the rock with his long-sword in his mouth. His appearance had taken on a black lion that was slightly older than Nalani. The fact that he was continuously being ricocheted off the rock seemed to not bother him a bit. Nalani smiled and sighed. "It's nice when someone has confidence in a love that no one else believes in."

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"This place hasn't changed a bit." Sora stated. He, Riku, and Kairi were standing inside of the old tree house. The only thing that had changed was him--in appearance, of course. He was still the laid back lazy fourteen-year old at heart. He remembered when he had first met Tarzan and had been willing to swear that he had seen Kairi right behind him.

"Where's the keyhole at?" Riku asked, looking around the treehouse wearily. "How old is this thing?"

"Pretty old." Sora admitted.

"Looks that wa--!" Kairi's sentence was cut short when she took a few steps forward and the floorboards beneath her gave way.

"Kairi!" Both Sora and Riku shouted, but by the time they had run to reach out for her hand, she had already fallen underneath.

"Oof!" Kairi cried when she hit the netting below the treehouse. "That was fortunate." She muttered quietly to herself as she looked up at Sora and Riku's worried expressions. "I'm alright!" She called up to them. Several low growls from somewhere in the middle, however, told her otherwise. The shadow of three large cats began to slink toward her; They were jaguars, two males and one female. "I might have lied." The Keyblade Princess whimpered as they prowled toward her, their pearly teeth revealed in a fierce snarl.

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**A/N: I had to cut it off there, sorry. xD This chapter was awfully... long. Yes, I totally made Larxene a barbie doll. See you next chapter. :D**


	21. I Need More Affection Than You Know

**A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long, guys, sorry! Dx School's murdering me, but hopefully I'll get used to it soon.**

**Disclaimer-I do not own Kingdom Hearts. DDx Otherwise Quince would totally be in it, and Stefa, too! xD**

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"Well, look what the cat coughed up." Quince's smug voice sounded from behind Bo Peep, her sheep, and Stefa. Naminé, Quince, Jessie, and Buzz were looking up at the two Organization members with angry expressions. "Are you sure you're pretty enough to be a barbie, Larxene?"

"Shut it, traitor." The Nymph snapped. "We're going to take out this world, and this time, you're going with it."

"Over your dead body." Quince growled fiercely, Maybe Memories appearing in his hand. Naminé, with a determined expression, also called upon her Keyblade. Larxene scowled at them.

"Zexion has been killed and so has Lexaeus." She snarled viciously at them in a voice that could make blood freeze. "And Demyx left the Organization." So that was the real reason why she was so pissed.

"It's not our problem that your Superior held out on all of you and Demyx quit because of it." Naminé snapped at the Nymph; All around her were kind of surprised at her fierceness.

"Wow, Nam." Stefa murmured quietly.

"You see, it kind of _is_ your problem." said Larxene, snapping, and summoning several dozen shadow heartless. They formed on the ground and all around, jumping toward them on the ground; Several, for some strange reason, headed for the door. Buzz Lightyear, having gotten over the initial shock, turned on his laser and began to shoot the heartless nearby with it. **(A/N: Every dog has his day.) **

"Head straight for their leader!" The spaceman ordered although he continued to attack the heartless. Stefa and Naminé nodded in understand, leaving Quince to help protect Bo Peep and Jessie as they climbed up the toy shelf, which was not easy to do when you were a very breakable doll.

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"Roxas, have you found that keyhole yet?" A slightly annoyed Nalani asked some ten minutes later. It seemed the boy was more or less interested in finding the keyhole and was now enjoying his time as a lion. Ceron laughed as Roxas stared at Nalani with a confused expression. "You know, the keyhole, the heart to a world? Unless you want to let this world fade into darkness..."

If Lions could blush, Roxas would have been bright red. "Right. Sorry." He murmured, recalling Oblivion to his mouth.

Several lionesses, who were coming from the grasslands, yelled, apparently being chased by something: Heartless. "Roxas, go find that keyhole." Ceron called to the blond Nobody, perking up immediately at the chance to do something. His long-sword appeared in his mouth, and so did Nalani's staff.

"This is a little awkward." Nalani's voice could barely be heard since she was pretty much eating her staff. "Firaga!" After changing her body's position, she was able to get a large flow of fire to shoot out from the tip of the EaKaze, thus destroying several of the heartless.

"Try eating a sword; I could accidently impale someone." Ceron murmured although the thought did seem kind of funny. He ran toward the heartless and shook his head to get his long-sword to move; This destroyed several more of the heartless.

"These stupid things keep multiplying. Thundaga!" Nalani tilted her head somewhat so that her staff was kind of in the air. Bolts of lightning destroyed more of the heartless. However, the heartless kept coming.

"I think that there's someone here summoning these heartless," Roxas told them as he joined up, "Let's go see."

"Kiara's out there!" Nalani suddenly remembered. Definitely not good. The three of them immediately set out for the grasslands.

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Angelic Destiny flashed into Kairi's hand out of pure instinct. How was she going to take on three jaguars, though? She got to her feet as the female crouched and then sprung into the air. Kairi held her Keyblade so that it was covering face, so she was pleasantly surprised when the cat never seemed to reach her. Sora was standing before Kairi in a protective stance, he had apparently just knocked the one back.

"It looks like Sabor had friends." The Keyblade master muttered to no one in particular. Riku jumped down from above, and finally the wild cats fled. Sora grinned at Riku before turning back to Kairi. "You okay?" She smiled and nodded, closing her eyes as she did so.

**\\\\\\\**

"So _this_ is the Deep Jungle? It's so pretty." Kairi said sometime later when they had made it to the old camping ground. Sora was very unsurprised to see that it had been cleared out; No doubt that Tarzan and Jane had sensed the incoming danger and had fled--but would they have really left the gorillas? Well, there was always a chance that they had taken them with...

"It is, isn't it?" asked Sora as he looked around the empty area. "I guess I was so preoccupied with finding you guys that I didn't really notice." He admitted.

"So, where's that keyhole?" Riku finally asked, looking around the area warily. "I'm surprised heartless aren't jumping out everywhere."

"Yeah, we haven't seen any yet, have we?" Kairi thoughtfully added. "It's odd."

"Lucky's more like it." stated Sora as they walked through the deserted area, heading for the cave.

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"Larxene, you're blaming us for something your _Superior_ did, don't you think that's just a bit unfair?" Stefa asked in a calm voice when she and Naminé had reached the top of the small bookshelf. Larxene was, if possible, a lot scarier than usual. She turned to face them, slowly. Even Reixka looked a little bit scared as the Nymph faced their enemies.

"Larxene," said Reixka, speaking at last. "That other one's on the ground, he might try to seal the keyhole. It is just in the door's keyhole... Oh. Oops." She added weakly when she realized that she had mentioned where the keyhole was, but hold on a second... it didn't seem very much like an accident. Stefa stared at her other with confusion while Naminé began to slice at the heartless that were jumping down from higher shelves and the walls.

"Quince!" Stefa hollered as she got a hold of herself. She looked over the edge to find said boy taking care of more heartless, but paying attention all the same. Buzz Lightyear seemed to be shepherding the two woman below to a safer spot. "The keyhole's in the door--go seal it!" She ordered. Quince rolled his eyes at her, but answered with a smile. He easily pulled away from the surrounding heartless, knocking them away with his Keyblade or just jumping over them; The door was still a good deal away, so he had a while to go.

Stefa turned away from the edge to see Larxene glaring angrily at Reixka now. "You did that on purpose!" The Nymph accused. Her companion appeared both guilty and indifferent, if that was possible.

"The fight to destroy wielders is both annoying and pointless," Reixka pointed out, "And there's no need to start a war over it." Larxene smirked, but it was cold.

"You are definitely her Nobody," She weakly gestured at Stefa, "So naïve." The Nymph added in a growl. "This _is_ a war. A war for power."

"Nobodies don't need power," Naminé stated, her voice was now soft and light, "We're not meant to exist." She still hadn't yet gotten out of the habit of referring to herself as a Nobody.

"You're one to talk, aren't you?" Larxene hissed as she turned away from Reixka. Both of her hands were full with the small kunai. Stefa and Naminé held out their Keyblades as they prepared for a bitter fight. When the Nymph launched her small kunai, though, both girls threw themselves flat against the book shelf instead of trying to block them. Reixka nodded her head.

_'Clever.'_

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Kiara was laying on her side in the grasslands; She was obviously unconscious. A male lion was standing before her in a protective stance. He had a very dark brown (almost black) mane with a cream-colored chest and a dark brown coat. His eyes were vivid green as he glared at an older lioness before him. The lioness had a very scrappy appearance; The bottom of her right ear looked like someone had taken a chunk out of it. Her eyes were a vivid red, her fur a type of orange, and her chest and underbelly a cream color. She was actually very intimidating. Probably the oddest thing about the lioness was the fact that darkness was hanging off of her like water.

"What the hell is this?" Roxas growled as he, Ceron, and Nalani scurried over to Kiara's side. The lion standing before her began to growl at them dangerously.

"Kovu, isn't it?" Nalani asked pleasantly. This lion would take very good care of the princess. His expression softened slightly at the fact that Nalani knew his name. "Don't worry, we're here to help. We're friends of Simba, Nala, and Kiara." She assured them. He nodded.

"That's my mother, Zira," He stated as he turned his attention back to the woman. "She wanted me to kill Simba, and since I refused... this has happened to her." Behind her were some more scrappy lionesses. One standing in the front of the others bore many similarities to Zira, aside from the fact that the lioness had a large black spot over one eye. Said lioness looked a little nervous and didn't seem to want to be there. "And my sister, Vitani." Kovu added at Nalani's look.

"So what do we do?" Ceron asked. He was still holding the hilt of his sword in his mouth, and because of this, he was standing to the right of Kovu.

"We have to take her out." Roxas stated in a leader-ish commanding voice, but he still looked at Kovu out of the corner of his eye to receive an okay. Kovu nodded determinedly.

"It's the only way."

"But someone should stay here and watch Kiara," Nalani argued as she faced Kovu. "She's your mother, it'll be too hard for you to fight her anyway... Take Kiara back to Pride Rock. We'll be okay." She added at Kovu's skeptical look. Finally, he nodded, and with little effort, he got Kiara on his back and ran off.

"Foolish." Zira remarked as she stomped one of her front paws. A wall of darkness formed before Roxas, Ceron, and Nalani where it then fell on top of them. The three of the split into different directions to avoid the attack. Roxas and Ceron, having just zipped to the side, ran forward to attack the lioness. Zira, having never fought against anything more than teeth and claws, was caught off guard by Oblivion and the fact that Nalani could use magic.

Roxas easily knocked her backward where Nalani began to cast thunder spells like crazy.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Enough with the foolishness." Larxene hissed. She was breathing heavily, unable to believe that Reixka was standing back and observing. Stefa and Naminé were equally exhausted and the most injured by far. The Nymph held out her two hands, and the room around Reixka, Naminé, Stefa, and Larxene began to shift into something dark. Another dark realm battle. Distant shouts from Quince, Bo Peep, and Jessie could be heard as they disappeared from Andy's Room.

Larxene and Reixka were facing Stefa and Naminé with annoyed expressions. The vivid jade eyes of Larxene were practically burning into Stefa's flesh; She could tell that now, more than ever, the Nymph wanted one last rematch. A rematch that would mean the end of either Stefa or the Savage one herself.

"Take care of Reixka." Stefa heard herself murmur as she charged at Larxene with Shadow Heart. Her heart was pounding viciously against her chest, and she could feel the adrenaline flowing within her. It seemed that Larxene had anticipated such an ignorant move. She threw out her foot and caught Stefa square in the stomach.

What Naminé and Reixka were doing couldn't really be called fighting; On Reixka's part at least. She continuously summoned heartless and some Nobodies to take care of the artist. In fact, Reixka was doing everything in her power to prevent herself from having to fight Naminé directly. "Do you take after Zexion or what?" Naminé murmured as she destroyed two shadows with several strikes of Chain of Memories. Fighting so many heartless was getting a tad annoying. When her sky blue eyes met Reixka's pale ones, she could tell it was something else; It was almost as if Reixka didn't want to fight because she considered Naminé a friend.

But why?

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Riku offered a hand to Kairi while Sora ran ahead to the tree glowing with blue butterflies. The three of them were soaking wet from having to climb up the waterfall cave. With little effort, Riku heaved Kairi onto the stone ground. She huffed a thank you as she attempted to catch up with her breath. There was a nice gash running up the front of her right leg from nearly falling off of a rock as she tried to climb. The blood was still dripping from it, slowly. They followed after Sora, Kairi in awe as the butterflies flew off of the keyhole.

Much to the Princess's surprise and delight, a butterfly landed on her nose. It was actually kind of cute despite the fact that it definitely resembled an insect beneath those beautiful wings. Its body tickled Kairi's nose, and she couldn't help but giggle. The butterfly gracefully flew off, following the others out of the cave. There were several cuts behind Kairi's legs from the multiple meetings that they had had with Sabor's old friends.

Riku and Sora had not escaped unscathed, either, but since they were both wearing long pants, it wasn't as easy to notice their cuts. A beam of light shot out from the tip of Kingdom Key and entered the keyhole, sealing it, and causing its image to disappear. Sora turned around and smiled at the other two. "All done," He announced as Kingdom Key disappeared in a flash of light. "I really wish that Tarzan and Jane were here, though." The Keyblade Master sheepishly admitted. Kairi nodded.

"It's alright to miss your friends," She said. "I bet they miss you, too." Her voice was so reassuring that Sora couldn't argue.

"How are we getting back to the Gummi Ship?" Riku asked as he gazed around at the empty cave; It seemed a lot creepier without the light from the butterflies. Sora rubbed the back of his head.

"I think I might have seen a docking point outside of the cave..." Kairi groaned at this statement.

"Ugh, you have to be kidding!" She sighed. "I think I've received enough damage from those Jaguars..."

"They _really_ don't like you, Kairi." Riku stated with a smirk that quickly turned into a smile, and then a laugh. Sora couldn't help but laugh, either. It was nice to be cheerful even though their friends and family might---No, they couldn't think that way. Kairi playfully smacked Riku's arm.

"It's that perfume," Sora said with a smile. "You smell like a patch of strawberries, so they probably think you're food."

"With or without the perfume, I think that they would consider me food." Kairi pointed out although she was blushing a little. "I just think that the perfume attracts them more to me than you two... but if they were human, they'd probably go after the two of you." The trio laughed together. It was a pure and complete thing. Even if they didn't have their home, they still had each other.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Nalani, who had used a lot of her magic healing Roxas and Ceron (because they got a bit carried away at times), was panting and taking a break. It was a shock that Zira's fellow lionesses weren't helping her out because she was taking a pretty bad beating. One of her legs appeared to be broken or at least sprained because she was limping. Her side had a long gash running along it from Ceron's sword. Blood was staining her fur coat in several places. Roxas had deep gashes running along his side from the places where Zira's claws had stuck him.

With her powerful teeth, claws, and darkness, she was quite the force. Ceron had a faint mark over his throat from where Zira had, out of pure instinct, tried to take out his throat. Nalani felt her magical power catch up with her, so she held up EaKaze (to the best of her ability) and cast three thundaga spells in a row. Zira's back legs gave out of her, and she was having trouble supporting herself with her front paws. She stomped both of her paws and fell down completely, but not before sending out a formidable attack.

Her fellow lionesses fled the scene as a black crack began to form in the ground. The ground began to split at its seams as black flames also rose up from the depths. Nalani wasn't exactly sure what to call it. Darkness fire? Just darkness? Some kind of ashy fire? Whatever it was, there wasn't a spell that she could use that would rival that kind of black magic.

Roxas charged at the fallen Zira with Oblivion. Surely such an injured lioness couldn't protect herself now? He was closing in the distance between the two of them when some of the 'flames of darkness' rose up below him. The duel Keyblade wielder roared in pain as he was thrown onto his back and hit a rock structure, and then he moved no more. "Roxas?!" Both Ceron and Nalani hollered at the same time. The mage pointed her staff at Roxas to the best of her ability.

"Cura!" Some of Roxas' injuries healed, but not all of them. It had to be left at that because even if Nalani were to use curaga, he still wouldn't get up, and Zira needed to be finished before things got worse.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dazed and tired, Stefa struck at Larxene with Shadow Heart, but she was stopped short by yet another lightning bolt. Its power caused her to topple over, and it was then that she realized that herself, Naminé, Reixka, and Larxene were all in their regular forms and sizes. Stefa sighed, or maybe it was a groan, as she pulled herself back onto two legs.

"Tsk tsk, you're growing soft," Larxene murmured softly at Stefa although it was obvious that she had taken her fair share of hits. "Maybe if we had brought Riku into this then you would be a bit more lively..." A devious glint filled the Nymph's eyes as she paused for a minute. "Or perhaps Quince? How terrible of you to play with their hearts..."

"Shut up." Stefa heard herself murmur, but it was weak. She fell back to one knee and coughed. Would this ever end? Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Naminé was still fighting off heartless and nobodies; Reixka still wouldn't allow her Keyblade to touch Naminé's skin.

"What will you do when you finally have to choose? You've been through a lot with both of them... Maybe it would be easier if I took you out of the picture!" Larxene's voice was filled with anger. Stefa heard her quick footsteps as the Nymph charged. Suddenly, they stopped, and just as suddenly, she felt something sharp pierce her arm; It was just a kunai, nothing to worry about.

Stefa yanked it out of her skin and threw it at Larxene, missing her by inches. Blood spilled out of the wound as she did so. She was tired of Larxene trying to mess with her head, mostly because it was working. Her feet basically ran on their own toward Larxene, but with some determination, Stefa thrust Shadow Heart at the Nymph. Several bolts of lightning hit Stefa, but this happened at the same time as Shadow Heart pierced _something_.

She looked up, and was surprised to see that Larxene's eyes were wide. Stefa looked at where her Keyblade was and saw that it had not only pierced Larxene's skin... The Keyblade had gone straight through. Larxene, who had been tired and focused on attacking Stefa, obviously hadn't been anticipating the attack so soon, otherwise Stefa never would have attacked her so.

The heartless around Naminé fell away, much to the girl's relief. She had scratches and cuts on her arms and legs. There were several gashes around her chest where a shadow had attempted to take her heart. Reixka had called them off when she had seen that Stefa had 'accidently' impaled Larxene. "Oh my God." Naminé heard herself whisper. The four of them were in shock.

Stefa, shaking her head with disbelief, did not attempt to pull on Shadow Heart. Dazed and in some severe pain, she fell into a sitting position. Shadow Heart flashed out of Larxene's stomach and into her hand. Blood was dripping from the end of it. Larxene's stomach was bleeding terribly, and darkness was already surrounding her body. The Nymph closed her eyes and sighed as she fell backward; The sadistic and angry expression was finally wiped from her face.

She opened her eyes and looked at Reixka with a small smile. "Sorry." Larxene did not say this out loud, but she mouthed it right before she faded away completely. The darkness around them fell away, but Reixka ran forward anyway and bent over the spot where Larxene had been. She felt the ground, hoping for Larxene to pop up somewhere. Even the blood disappeared as the three of them reappeared in Andy's Room.

Reixka finally got a hold of herself. Well, alright, not exactly... Anguish and blood thirst washed over the nobody like an ocean. She turned around and glared at her other with such an expression that it was _terrifying._ It was so hard for her to believe that she had just helped the murder not too long ago. "When I said that I'd kill you before," She murmured quietly as she slowly made her way toward Stefa. "It was _**nothing**_ in comparison to this." Fear flared into Stefa like five fireworks, but after so many lightning strikes, she could barely will herself to move.

The slow walk turned into a rapid run as Reixka held out her Cherry Blossom Keyblade; She was planning to impale Stefa, as well. An eye for an eye.

Chain of Memories caught the Cherry Blossom Keyblade before Reixka got within a foot of Stefa. Naminé hadn't bothered running all the way, she had just thrown her Keyblade at Reixka, causing the brunette to back off for the minute.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Should we go to the Pride Lands or Andy's House first?" Kairi asked Sora once they were back in the Gummi Ship. While Kairi had escaped an attack from the three jaguars, Sora and Riku had received more abuse from them.

"I'm not sure if I'm too up to more felines," Riku murmured quietly. That was true, but also the fact that he wanted to see Stefa kind of badly.

"Pride Lands," Sora announced have either not heard Riku or not cared. "It looks like Roxas just sealed the keyhole, too."

Exhausted was not even close to a good adjective to describe how Roxas, Ceron, and Nalani felt. They were laying below the rock structure of Pride Rock. Apparently, that's where the keyhole had been since that's where Roxas had sealed the keyhole. It hadn't been too hard to defeat Zira after she had no longer been able to get up. After Nalani had healed Roxas, Ceron had stabbed her in the chest. While it had not been a beautiful sight, it had to be done.

The interesting part was that Zira's pride had dragged Nalani, Roxas, and Ceron up to Pride Rock afterward. They had explained the battle with ease and told Simba that they were at a truce and they wanted to come back to the Pride Lands. King Simba's decision had only been further decided when Kiara and Kovu had practically begged him to agree.

The Pride Lands were sealed and happy again, what a wonderful ending. Simba had even agreed to allowing his daughter and Kovu to be together. That really _was_ good.

Suddenly, a lioness with auburn fur, a lion with chocolate-colored fur, and one more lion with snowy-colored fur came running up to Nalani, Ceron, Roxas, Simba, Kiara, Nala, and Kovu. "Sora!" Nala and Simba exclaimed upon spotting the chocolate-furred lion. He had then been tackled, pinned, and nuzzled until the King and Queen got a hold of themselves.

"I see all's good here." Riku stated with a small smirk.

"Who invited Kimba?" Ceron murmured weakly. **(A/N: Dun hurt me serious Lion King people. Dx)** Although Simba had offered them all of the potions he had, they were all still tired.

"We defeated the bad guy, sealed the Pride Land, and got those lovely two lions together," Nalani remarked, nodding her head at the embarrassed Kovu and Kiara, "I call that a good day."

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Naminé's breathing was heavy, but she would be damned if she was going to stand aside and allow Reixka to kill Stefa. It was no use for Reixka to try to defeat Naminé, who obviously wouldn't be going down unless she was killed ten times over. Reixka reluctantly called upon a portal and disappeared into it, but not without glaring at Naminé and Stefa venomously.

Pleased just a tad, Naminé turned her attention back to Stefa, who was staring at her blood-stained Keyblade with disbelief still. She sighed and put away Chain of Memories as she kneeled before her friend. "Stefa?" Stefa, surprisingly enough, looked up at Naminé and smiled a little.

"Thank you." She mumbled weakly. Naminé smiled back.

"Anytime." She said before sighing. "Staring at that Keyblade won't help you... You did what you had to do."

"But, I..." Stefa couldn't think of a good enough argument, so she allowed Shadow Heart to disappear in a burst of light.

"Is our problem under control up here?" Buzz's deep voice asked as he, Bo Peep, Jessie, and Quince climbed to the top of the bookshelf. Bo Peep, Buzz, and Jessie seemed unsurprised to see Naminé and Stefa in the smaller versions of their human selves, so they must have been told everything by Quince.

"Mostly." Naminé admitted with a faint smile. "I kind of think we've overstayed our welcome, and we have more worlds to take care of, anyway." She said, getting to her feet, and offering Stefa a hand. The two of them looked pretty terrible with all of the cuts, scratches, and obvious lack of energy. Quince nodded in agreement.

"If anything else happens, you'll be able to reach us," He told the other three. "I doubt anything will come up, though."

"Well, hot diggidy dog!" Jessie cheered, throwing her hat into the air. Bo Peep smiled serenely.

"Thank you all so much." Quince took off his hat as he bowed.

"No problem, m'am."

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Guys?" Kairi called into the transmission. She had been working from the ship in an attempt to reach Quince, Stefa, and Naminé for a while now.

"They're still not back?" Sora asked both impatiently and worriedly.

"Right here, guys." Naminé's soft voice announced over the transmission. Roxas smiled with relief.

"Are the three of you okay?" He asked. Quince scratched the back of his head.

"Depends on what you mean by okay..." He murmured under his breath.

"Where's Stefa?" Riku, always quick to notice her disappearance, asked.

"Resting." Naminé answered with a weak smile.

"Meet us back in the Radiant Garden." Sora commanded as he closed the transmission.

"I want to know what happened to Stefa!" Nalani's voice growled viciously before Quince clicked off the screen, too.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N: I'm afraid I have to cut it off there because I really have to go to bed... So, I killed off Larxene. Dx I'm sorry, guys, I didn't want to, but it had to be done apparently. Stefa shouldn't feel very safe when Marluxia and Reixka begin to hunt her down... -Shudders at the thought- Hehe, Nalani, Ceron, and Roxas pwned Zira. :3 **

**See you next chapter. :D**


	22. Lip Gloss Lies, Doin' the Time

**A/N: Late arrival tomorrow, so i decided to update. Finally. :3 I'm glad no one was too upset about me killing Larxene. xDD**

**Disclaimer-I don't own Kingdom Hearts, okay? Dx**

"Whoa, she killed _Larxene_?" It was hard to tell which Axel was more of, happy, surprised, or amused.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Shut up." Stefa's bitter voice called from outside. She had received a Megalixir, so she was alright for the most part, but now she felt just sick to her stomach at the thought of what had happened. Quince, who had been giving her another piggy-back ride, dropped her off in front of the door.

"You're killing my back, Stef." He joked. Already night had fallen in the Radiant Garden, but as usual, the Committee was still awake. Aside from Merlin. Well, no one really knew _what_ Merlin was up to these days...

Roxas, Nalani, and Ceron had arrived at the garden first, and now Quince, Naminé, and Stefa were back, too. It wouldn't be much longer for the last three to arrive. "Stefa!" Nalani ran across the room and practically tackled her friend to the ground.

"Ouch, Nala," Stefa grunted although she was smiling a little. Naminé had just gotten through explaining to Ceron, Roxas, Leon, Yuffie, Tifa, Cid, and Axel what had happened.

"You know," Nalani said thoughtfully, "That that's the name of a Queen Lioness in the Pride Lands?" Stefa smirked at this.

"Then you are nicknamed after a Queen Lioness, be proud." For the remark, Stefa got a light punch on the arm.

"I can't believe we're back already," Ceron mused. Obviously he didn't like being cooped up in the Radiant Garden so much.

"Yeah, we were just here a little bit ago." Roxas agreed.

"But you all need your rest." said Tifa with a small smile. "So you may as well catch up on what you can."

"An' besides, the End of the World still hasn't showed up, an' I need to add another Gummi piece so that y'all can get there." stated Cid with his strange southern accent.

"End of the World is right by here, though." Sora's thoughtful voice called from outside.

"Maybe it is, maybe not." Naminé's soft voice said. "It still hasn't showed up on the radar, so we don't really know anything."

"But you guys definitely have to stay put this time." Yuffie stated as she stuck out her lower lip. "You need the rest."

"Number XII has been eliminated, then?" Xemnas asked of Reixka as he looked around the table; There were now four empty seats. Marluxia growled and slammed his fist against the marble table.

"They're picking us off," He stated through narrowed eyes. "We should take them out."

"I actually agree with the Grim Reaper's Homosexual cousin." **(A/N: I got that from an image, obviously. xD) **The free-shooter said to the Superior. "It might make it easier to get to Kingdom Hearts..." Xemnas waved this off as unimportant.

"It doesn't matter."

"They'll come after us before we can accomplish anything, though." Marluxia tried to say, but he knew that Xemnas knew he didn't care about accomplishing anything; All he wanted was to avenge Larxene.

"I, quite personally, think that we're better off with Number XII," Luxord said in his english accent, "She did kill of Vexen, after all."

"That wretched scientist got what he deserved." Reixka murmured quietly. After Vexen had given her a few dozen death threats, Larxene and him had had a small chat that had ended in his death. **(A/N: Sorry, guys. xDD) **

"Silence." Saïx's cold voice cut through the chatter that had begun. "What the Superior says goes, got it?" He narrowed his eyes as he looked around at the others. They all nodded solemnly, some of them with anger apparent in their eyes.

"When will we be going to Kingdom Hearts?" Xaldin asked Xemnas after several minutes of pure silence.

"Soon enough, Number III, soon enough."

Quince and Riku had taken Stefa's drawn-out silence to be that she was scared that the Organization might hunt her down for what she had done. She hadn't done much to steer them in the other direction since that was one worry she didn't mind them knowing about. Stefa was sitting at the table in the kitchen, staring blankly at the lime green wall that she was facing. Quince had gone to bed two hours before and Riku had gone to bed an hour after that. Nalani quietly slid into the kitchen and sat beside Stefa at the table.

"You aren't worried about the Organization that much." It was a statement. Nalani knew her too well. Stefa nodded her head.

"You're right." She agreed quietly.

"So what's got you?" Stefa, who had apparently been waiting to be asked this question, turned to the side so that she was facing Nalani and began to talk immediately.

"It's what Larxene said." she admitted. "I'm glad Naminé didn't say anything to anyone... If she heard, that is. I'm terrible for loving both Riku and Quince."

"I wouldn't call it _terrible_." Nalani muttered, but Stefa didn't believe her.

"Horrible, then." sighed Stefa. "I don't know what to do, or who to choose... Riku's been here for me lately a lot more than Quince has... and back at school, Quince only came around if he was worried, which was only a few times." The mage bit her lip, thinking quietly.

"I think that Quince is planning to leave things up to you." She told the princess after about five minutes had passed. "So you can decide who you like more when you _have_ to," She emphasized the word. "In the meantime, you have other things to worry about, so I think that we should both go to bed." The wooden chair squealed against the wooden floor as Nalani got up. Stefa nodded and also got up. She put an arm around Nalani's neck.

"Thanks."

_Riku found himself on a familiar snowy-like path. It winded all the way up to a huge white door. "Kingdom Hearts?" He asked himself; Why would he be here again? He continued along the path, nearing Kingdom Hearts. There was a body laying on the ground... She had vivid and short red hair. Her clothes were a tank top and a short purple skirt. "Kairi?" Riku exclaimed, running forward and bending over her. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she had the first time that she had lost her heart. "Kairi!" He shouted her name as he gently grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her; Suddenly, he felt like Sora. Guilt welled up inside of him as he released her and gently set her down on the ground._

_He got to his feet and continued down the path. Something wasn't right here... Wait, he was nearing another body. This time, a chocolate-haired boy with hair spiked in odd directions and turquoise and indigo clothes was laying on the ground; No one had an outfit like that other than... "Sora!" Riku shouted, running toward his best friend this time. He had never seen Sora without a heart... Why did he still have a body? He should have been a heartless by now. "Maybe he's just knocked out?" He wondered, putting an ear to his best friend's chest. There was no rhythm of a beat. _

_"Damn it! What the hell is this?" Riku exclaimed as he got to his feet once more and called upon Way to Dawn. He ran forward, nearing Kingdom Hearts until he was right before it. The doors were open quite a bit. Allowing his curiosity to get the best of him, he peeked inside. Stefa was not without a heart, but it looked like she was having a bit of trouble fighting off the various heartless that lay within the door. "Stefa!" She turned around, swinging her hair over her shoulder, and smiled her brightest-a smile Riku hadn't seen in so long. He held out his hand to her. _

_She began to walk toward him, allowing her Keyblade to disappear, and ignoring the heartless behind her. Big mistake. Several of the shadows jumped her at once and stabbed her in the back before they began to dig into her back. "Riku!" She desperately cried as she fell forward; The doors of Kingdom Hearts were beginning to close. They weren't opened enough for him to get through. _

_"Wait! Stefa!" He shouted, trying to pry the doors open with his hands. The last thing he saw was the Keyblade princess's body disappearing in a shower of light. _

Riku awoke with a start. He was covered in a cold sweat that had caused his bangs to become plastered to his face. After taking a few deep breaths, he rolled off of his bed, still fully clothed, and exited his room. Stefa's was just down the corner, and to make absolutely positive that it had been a dream, he opened her door a little. She was laying on her side on the floor. One of her blankets were pulled over her and she was rolled up into a small ball. He couldn't help but laugh quietly at the scene; She looked so innocent.

He entered the room and walked over to where she was sleeping. With ease, he picked her up bridal style and set her back on the bed, throwing sheets over her body. Her face, that had been a little bit pale, flushed with color. Her lips turned up in a smile. "Riku, don't leave..." Once again, he chuckled quietly and sat beside her, grabbing one of her hands gently.

_Kingdom Hearts was not as beautiful as Sora had made it seem. On the inside, it was dark even though it had emitted such a light that had 'destroyed' Xehanort's heartless. Why did she keep having dreams about the place? She defeated a shadow with one slash of Shadow Heart. How long had she been fighting these things now? The Darksides that had rose from the back of the door were slowly making their way toward her, and the doors were closed; There was no escaping. _

_"Die, you stupid heartless!" As she destroyed yet another shadow, she realized something. What if one of these shadows had been Kath's? Or her aunt's? What about other family members or just people from school? Horrified, Stefa dropped Shadow Heart, and slowly backed away, only to have it return to her hand. Larxene appeared before her, the fatal wound still bleeding from her stomach, and laughed at her stupidity. _

_"What's wrong? Aw, you didn't kill one of your friends, did you...?" She cooed sadistically. So much blood... It was forming a pool under where the Nymph stood. "You killed me and now you've failed your friends..." Larxene looked up, smiling brightly. "Oh, did I forget to mention? You missed your friends. They came here before you, and... they didn't fight so well. Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Naminé, Quince, the mage, and the warrior... But that's not the best part." Her jade eyes glowed like jewels. "You've already destroyed their heartless. All of them." _

_Stefa stared at her dumbly before she turned around and ran for the door. She pounded on it, but, of course, it didn't budge. Shadow Heart. Stefa extended her arm and waited for her Keyblade to unlock the door, but nothing of the sort happened. "Don't leave me in here..." She whimpered. Something hit her in the back. Although it was unnecessary, Stefa turned her head to see Larxene with a handful of kunai; It seemed that the Savage Nymph had decided to play darts. _

_This only caused Stefa to pound on the door harder and kick it. Nothing happened, still. She leaned her body against the door, and it slowly began to open. Looking up, she noticed that the door had opened enough for her to fit through. A hand was right before her, too. Stefa's eyes followed it back to its owner and Riku smiled. "Come on," He said with mock impatience, "I told you that we'd go together."_

Stefa awoke with a start. "Sorry," Riku's voice sounded. Sun had only just begun to fill the room with some light. She looked at him with confusion. He was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head turned toward her. "'Morning." After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up and enveloped Riku in a hug.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked, mentally adding, _'Even though you just saved me from a nightmare...'_ Riku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks turning a slight tint of red.

"I came to check up on you last night, and when I put you on your bed," At her confused look, Riku chuckled, "You fell off. After I put you back on, you told me to stay, so I did." Stefa giggled.

"Good. I'm glad."

"Stefa, everyone's waiting for you downstairs, I'm going to get up Riku so you guys can-" Leon paused as he noticed the two sitting on her bed. "I'm going to pretend like I didn't see this," The normally strict Leon stated. "Get dressed and get downstairs." Stefa burst out laughing and did the two-finger salute as Leon pulled out of the room. Riku's cheeks were even more red, as were Stefa's.

He left to allow her some time to get dressed.

"What's going on, guys?" Stefa asked as she and Riku descended the stairs, her hand in his. The chain that hung from one belt loop to another jingled with every step she took.

"Cid's finally finished the Gummi Ship," Axel told them. "End of the World finally showed up."

"I don't see why we don't just take a portal." Ceron muttered.

"Because none of us who can use portals knows where this place is." The fiery redhead snapped.

"Does that mean Axel's coming with?" Riku asked. It was hard to tell if he was happy about this or put-off.

"We're all going," said Nalani. "We all have homes that we want to save."

"So, Kingdom Hearts has to be sealed again?" asked Quince, looking at Sora. He nodded his head.

"I'm not sure exactly how it could have come _unsealed_, but I guess we'll find out when we get there." Stefa blinked.

"Wait. We're leaving _now_?" The others stared at her as if she were crazy or really slow.

"Yes, Stefa." Kairi answered. Stefa whirled around, desperate.

"Hey, you guys haven't seen Marlene or Denzel, have you?" Tifa's voice called as she walked down the stairs. Everyone shook their heads.

"They're probably off somewhere." Naminé assured her. The martial artist frowned, but nodded in agreement. She shrugged.

"You're probably right. So, are you leaving for End of the World already?" She asked, looking at the others sadly. They nodded once again.

"Sorry, Tifa." Roxas muttered, rubbing the back of his head. She shook her head.

"Don't be. You do what you've got to do, right?" She asked, smiling a little. "Just be sure to come and visit before you guys head home."

"And if you have trouble while you're there, you can always come back and rest up." Yuffie added, smiling a little. "Man, I wish I could come, but I think you guys have enough people..." The others laughed.

"Yeah, I think so, too." Sora agreed.

The group arrived at End of the World in nearly no time at all since it was so close. They exited the cave and found themselves staring at some kind of sea that was surrounding them on all sides. "Are we going to have to swim?" Axel asked with a hint of annoyance. Sora laughed.

"Let me show you." He said, taking a step forward, toward the water. Surprisingly enough, his foot did not go through. He put his other foot on, too, and that didn't go through, either.

"What kind of magic is _that_?" Ceron asked with some surprise as he came up beside Sora. When he jumped up and down, water still came up like he was jumping in a puddle. The others followed suit although Axel was still a bit reluctant.

"This place is kinda creepy." Kairi stated as she looked around. There were other signs of rock in the water, and up ahead there was a huge vortex looking thing.

"It's like the Nobody of worlds." Naminé mused as she also looked around.

"But there _are_ still heartless here." Sora warned them as Fenrir flashed into his hand. "Nobodies are probably here by now, too."

"I feel like God." Nalani stated as they began to head for the vortex; Stefa laughed.

"You _are_ very Godly." she said. Both Riku and Quince shook their heads.

"You two are crazy." Quince stated.

"And you're not used to it, yet? Silly Quince." said Nalani with a smile.

"I thought you said that there are heartless here, Sora." Riku said a little later when they had just reached the vortex. He shrugged.

"There were when I was last here. Boy, was that a nightmare." He murmured recalling the Invisibles, Angel Stars, Wizards, and Wyverns with a shiver. Then, he stepped into the vortex first, closely followed by Kairi, and then the rest of the group.

"So this is where a world is sent when it's destroyed." Stefa murmured. "Definitely like a Nobody." They were now standing in a weird place. It was a lot darker here, and the walls looked like they were made of dark blue bricks. The ground beneath them kind of looked like it was covered in snow, but when they kicked it up, it came up as something close to pixie dust.

"Now what, Sora?" Kairi asked, peeking over the edge with a bit of nervousness. It was a long way down.

"Follow me." He simply answered, taking her hand, and jumping downward. The rest of the group stared in horror.

"Has he finally lost it?" Axel exclaimed, as they ran to the edge of the 'snowy' platform. Sora and Kairi were floating down toward a bright light, where they then disappeared.

"Cool!" Ceron chimed. Unconsciously, he grabbed Nalani's hand before jumping off of the platform, too. The mage's face had turned a light shade of pink. They, too, disappeared into the bright light.

"I was always told never to go toward the light, but then again, this adventure seems to be all about the light." said Stefa as she turned around and looked at the others. She smiled widely and brightly. "Let's end this!" Riku, Quince, and Naminé smiled. Stefa took a deep breath, turned around, gently grabbed Riku's hand as well as Quince's, and the three of them jumped down.

"Don't either of you know what lies beyond that light?" A slightly nervous Axel asked of Roxas and Naminé, "Sora and Kairi are your somebodies, after all."

"I can't remember all of _his_ memories anymore. I have to remember my own, too." Roxas replied with a smirk. Naminé grabbed his hand and grabbed one of Axel's. Wordlessly, the three of them jumped off of the platform and floated toward the light as well.

Donald Duck quacked in outrage back in the Radiant Garden. "Wak! They went to the End of the World? Without us? Why couldn't they have waited?"

"Gawrsh, d'you think they'll be okay?" An anxious Goofy asked his King. The Mouse King smiled.

"I think they'll be alright, fellas, they'll all help each other." He replied.

"But only Sora's been to the End of the World, and only once, a few years ago!" Donald reasoned out. He had called upon Save the Queen in hopes that the King would let them go to End of the World, too.

"They'll be fine." Yuna insisted. "And they'll come back to show us as much." Tifa burst inside of Merlin's house with a frightened expression.

"I've officially looked everywhere in the Radiant Garden. I can't find those two _anywhere_, one part of the Radiant Garden had a lot of blood, and to make matters worse," The woman fumbled with her pockets for a minute before pulling out a pink ribbon.

"This is... odd." said Quince a few minutes later when he, Stefa, and Riku had appeared in front of a pillar of light.

"And suspicious." Stefa stated, staring at the pillar with deep distaste. "Where did everyone else go?"

"Only one way to find out, right?" Riku asked as he took a few steps forward and disappeared through the pillar. Stefa stared dumbly.

"It doesn't burn, at least." Quince tried to say in a cheerful voice as he took a few steps forward and also disappeared.

"Stop leaving me!" Stefa complained before she also stepped through.

"We're in the rabbit hole thing?" Nalani asked as she looked around the area; It definitely resembled it. "Are we in the real thing or what?"

"I'm not sure," Sora answered, shrugging. "I'm pretty positive it is, but it might not be."

"It's a real relief when the leader knows the answer to such an important question." Nalani muttered quietly under her breath. Suddenly, something that came from above, fell on top of her. The mage grunted in pain.

"Thanks for catching my fall." said Stefa with a grin.

"It's about time." Quince said, rolling his eyes, and holding out a hand to help her up. Before she could grab his hand, Nalani got onto all fours, knocking Stefa off of her back. Small black puddles began to appear on the ground.

"Heartless!" Sora growled, calling upon Keyblade. These heartless were not shadows, but they were the larger neoshadows. As Roxas landed cat-like on his feet, he destroyed a few of them with his Keyblades.

"Oh, boy, my favorite." Riku smirked at this.

"You and me both." He added, destroying two of them with Way to Dawn; The way that they were talking, it seemed that they were talking about something only they knew about. Sora, Naminé, Axel, and Kairi exchanged looks, but quickly waved it off as they moved in to fight off the heartless.

"Just shadows?" Asked Stefa with a smile. "What a relief." Something heavy and hard knocked her on the back just as she finished her sentence, and it knocked her into one of the walls. With blurry vision, she turned around and found a large body standing in front of her, pounding its chest. A flurry of flames surrounded it before it could do much else, and it disappeared in a cloud of darkness, a captive heart floating upward. "Thank you, Axel." A gloved hand grabbed her own, and pulled her to her feet.

"Don't let it happen again." He said, ruffling Stefa's hair before setting off to destroy more heartless. The neoshadows and Large Bodies were defeated in less than a few minutes, to everyone else's relief.

"_That_ was fun." said Ceron brightly as his sword disappeared into a flurry of light.

"Now what?" Kairi asked, turning to Sora. He grinned.

"We keep going forward." He answered as he walked toward the door that led to the Bizarre Room.

"Wait! Doesn't that lead...? Oh, forget it." The auburn-haired girl murmured as she trotted after her boyfriend. Instead of appearing in the Bizarre room, they appeared on the other side of the pillar, before a new portal. Once again, Sora stepped forth and disappeared into it.

"You know, this really is getting kind of annoying." The usually optimistic Naminé stated. They had been through several pillars since Wonderland: Olympus Coliseum, Atlantica (which was hard for the people who weren't used to being sea creature), the Pride Lands, Halloween Town, and Deep Jungle.

"I second that." Nalani agreed. Now, they were standing before a different colored pillar. They had just come from the World Terminus where they had been able to heal. "Then again, I didn't mind Atlantica all that much." She added quietly, red covering her cheeks as she remembered Ceron as a merman. He was surprisingly good looking underneath that shirt...

"At least we feel stronger." Sora the optimist tried to say; Needless to say, no one really believed him.

"So where does this one led?" Asked Axel, who was apparently getting entertainment out of winding up in a weird world every time they stepped into the pillars. Sora put his hand to his chin as he thought. Suddenly, he looked up.

"It _used_ to go to Ansem... I mean, Xehanort's Heartless' lab..." He answered, clearly not wanting to continue forth anymore. "It probably won't anymore, though."

"What's got you so weird about it?" Ceron asked out of pure interest. Sora smirked darkly.

"'_Ones born of the heart and darkness, devoid of hearts, ravage all worlds and bring desolation. Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart. All hearts to be one, one heart to encompass all. Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts. The great darkness, come back to the eternal darkness.'_" Sora quoted, looking at the others emotionlessly even though their faces were worried. "_'For the heart of light shall unseal the path, Seven hearts, one keyhole, one key to the door. The door of darkness, tied by two keys. The door of darkness to seal the light. None shall pass the shadows, returning to the darkness. Ones born of the heart and darkness, hunger for every heart until the dark door opens.'_"

"...What _was_ that?" Nalani asked, staring at Sora as if he were crazy.

"A poem. Or story. Or both." He replied. "Anyway, now you can see why I'm so weird about it. Maybe this will automatically take us inside of the volcano." Since the boy wasn't elaborating on anything that he was saying, he sounded like he was speaking nonsense.

"Someone shouldn't be allowed to go to Wonderland." muttered Stefa, receiving a small laugh from Naminé. After three minutes of just staring at the pillar passed, the dirty blonde girl sighed. "Well, standing here isn't going to return our worlds, but I'm definitely not going in alone." She grabbed Nalani's hand, and dragged her into the portal.

"That's safe." Axel stated, staring at the spot where they had disappeared. Quince shook his head.

"We'd better go. Either the two of them are going to get themselves into deep shit, or they're going to start a heartless rodeo." He stated as he rested Maybe Memories on his shoulder and also stepped through the pillar.

As Sora had thought, they had not been transported to the lab; They had been sent straight into the volcano type thing. "You thought we would start a rodeo?" Asked Nalani thoughtfully. "Hm. I never thought of that. Thanks for the idea!" She added as she jumped down one platform to the bottom of the volcano. "It's surprisingly cool in here for a volcano."

"Maybe that's because the Chernabog has been dead for so long?" Roxas suggested as he also dropped the bottom, and held out his arms to catch Naminé as she jumped after him.

"I could always re-light it." Axel stated, snapping his fingers and causing some fire to appear. Nalani put up both hands as she took a few steps back.

"I wasn't complaining. Just because I use fire magic doesn't mean that I like it."

"How close are we to the door?" Kairi called up to Sora as he jumped to the bottom and landed beside her.

"Right through there." He replied, pointing his finger at a whole past a greenish looking frozen lake place.

"Are there going to be a shit-load of heartless through there?" Ceron asked, looking at the area with deep dislike. Obviously none of them wanted to fight if their passage was clear.

"I wouldn't be surprised," stated Nalani as she also stared at the area, "You know how in a video game, when you're right near the final level, that you always have to do extra annoying shit."

"Nothing like that would ever happen in worlds like this." Quince said, rolling his eyes as he stepped into the area first. He took a few steps through with nothing bothering him. "See? What did I tell you?"

"I don't recommend getting too cocky." Naminé called as she pointed behind him. A wall of Invisibles, Wyverns, Angel Stars, and Darkballs were rising behind him.

"That's happy." said Nalani as her staff of EaKaze appeared in her hand and she ran forward to help her childhood friend.

"More fun." Roxas murmured under his breath as Oathkeeper and Oblivion reappeared in his hands when he joined the fray.

"I hate heartless." Stefa whined as she entered the fray as well.

"That's the life of a Keyblade wielder." Riku said, laughing without humor as he also entered the area.

It seemed like the heartless were never planning to go away. Every time you thought that you had defeated one type, about five more of said type reappeared. "If that door isn't right beyond here, Sora," Nalani said, pushing a berserk Darkball off of her staff, "I will kill you." Sora laughed nervously as he destroyed one of the Wyverns.

"Then I hope the door didn't move somewhere else." He joked. Apparently Nalani didn't find this funny, for she sent an ice spell at his back.

"I'm so tired of this." Stefa murmured under her breath as she pointed Shadow Heart at Quince's arm, which was bleeding a little. "Cure." He looked back at her with a surprised expression.

"That was unnecessary." He became thoughtful for a minute. "And a waste of your little bit of magic."

"Just say thank you and take it like a good little boy." Stefa said, smiling a little. Out of pure agitation, Sora used several thundaga and graviga spells to clear out the remaining heartless.

"Let's go before more heartless come." He growled as Kairi put two hands behind his back and pushed him along.

"Or before you go insane." She added as he climbed through the entrance. The final rest was a peaceful looking place in comparison to the rest of the End of the World. It had pure looking water sitting in craters or falling from the ceiling. There were a set of pink doors up ahead.

"Is this it?" Axel asked, observing the water with distaste.

"It's healing water, Axel." Naminé giggled at her friend's look.

"This is it." It was Riku who answered the pyro's question, not Sora. He walked up to the doors and put one hand on them.

"We can do it, Riku." Stefa tried to assure him as she put a hand on his arm.

"The last time I walked through these doors, I wasn't me." He muttered quietly so that only she can hear.

"And this time, we're all going together." Kairi announced as she put her free hand on Riku's other shoulder. Sora and Riku pulled open the doors. It was impossible to see what lie beyond them aside from the bright white light.

"That's not safe." Nalani stated. "But let's do it anyway." The group entered (or at least tried to) as a whole, so that no one would be somehow left behind.

Stefa found herself standing on a pier of some sorts. It was wet, obviously with the water from the salty ocean below. She looked around; It was completely empty. Sighing, Stefa muttered something about 'I thought we were supposed to go together'. "Good, so it worked." Reixka's voice was enough to snap Stefa out of her reverie, and put her on guard. "Whoa, there. Someone's a bit paranoid."

"Well, sorry, but you've only tried to kill me several times." Stefa growled, holding Shadow Heart defensively. Reixka waved her off.

"This is the fight to end it all." She replied as she turned around and leaned against the front of the pier, staring out at the ocean.

"...What do you mean? You're not Xemnas." Stefa stupidly said, feeling rather alarmed. Reixka giggled quietly; Another surprise. Reixka sighed and turned around, slowly.

"What I meant is that we're going to settle _our_ little battle." She stated, pointing at Stefa. "I know, I know, 'it's not polite to point'." Reixka was smiling, and it was weird for Stefa to see this.

"Sorry if this comes out wrong, but why are you _happy_ and with _me_ of all people?" Stefa asked, staring at her other weirdly. Reixka gave her a look that suggested she had no idea where she was going with this. The Keyblade Princess sighed. "That is to say that I _killed_ your, I'm guessing, best friend? I would rip your throat out if you ever were to kill Nalani." She shuddered at the mere thought of it.

"Because it wasn't really your fault." Reixka muttered as she stared at her feet. "I'm trying to come to terms with all of this, okay? But before I join you or whatever..." She looked up, and it was then that Stefa noticed that her other was no longer wearing an Organization cloak. She was now wearing ripped blue jeans and a red t-shirt with a black and white broken heart in the middle. Her hair was still tied back in the long braid. "I want a real fight."

"Where are we?" Asked Ceron as he looked around. They were on a white path with darkness surrounding on them; It looked like they were nowhere.

"We're either very near Kingdom Hearts or very near Castle Oblivion." Riku replied as he also glanced around the area; It seemed familiar. Kairi also looked around.

"There won't be any sending me back home, right?" She asked wearily as she remembered the last time she had been near Kingdom Hearts. **(A/N: I love the excuse for why she wound up there in the Kingdom Hearts manga: "One minute I was with Leon and the others, and the next, I was here!") **Sora and Riku both laughed, but the others didn't, not completely understanding.

"Don't worry, Kairi. And besides, Kingdom Hearts would have to be sealed first." Sora said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Speaking of, how are we supposed to seal Kingdom Hearts?" Asked Roxas as he checked out the surroundings with dislike. "Don't you need King Mickey?" Sora thought for a minute as he slowly turned around to look at Riku.

"I think Way to Dawn will work." He replied with a small nod. Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind them, slowly advancing toward where they stood.

"We've been separated again." Nalani pointed out to find her best friend once again MIA.

"And I think it's about to happen one more time." Naminé added as they were engulfed in the light...

"Destiny Islands?" Riku, Sora, and Kairi said together. Sure enough, they were standing right before the pool. Something looked off, though. The sky was darker, and no one was on the island. "Don't trust anything you see." Sora growled, calling upon Fenrir in a flash.

"Why?" Kairi asked, fearfully, as she called upon Angelic Destiny. "Where is everyone?"

"This must be the Organization's idea of how to get rid of us." Riku murmured as Way to Dawn appeared in his hand. "This world has been connected, so one of the members are probably around here somewhere."

"We're... home?" Nalani asked, confused, as she found herself standing before the huge mound that was Wood-chip mountain.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Quince stated, shaking his head, and holding Maybe Memories in a defensive stance. The sky was dark, but not the kind of dark that it is during the night.

"Very clever," Xaldin's voice called from the top of the mountain. "You've played your parts, and now it's time to get rid of you annoying brats."

"Can you really be a brat at seventeen?" Ceron mused as he held up his long-sword.

* * *

**A/N: Good chapter? I hope so. It took a while to get this one up. I had to put up that little poem/writing thing of Ansem's from KH1, I kinda always liked it... Anyway, see you all next chapter. :3**


	23. To Become Whole

**A/N: So, yes, this story is finally coming to a close. It's a lot shorter than the other one, I know, but the plot is thinning out, so I have no choice. xD This isn't doing as well as **_**The Two-Sided Heart**_**, but I can live with that. The original is always the best. ;D **

**Reixka: Hey! **

**Lolli: I... uhm... didn't mean that for you? **

**Reixka: -Sulks- **

**Stefa: -Sighs- Lolli does not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its respected characters... She is responsible for causing many emotional breakdowns, though.**

**Reixka: -Sobs-**

**Also, whoever can figure out the sexual innuendo (knowing me, there might be more than one, but there is one main one that I know of) gets not one, but three cookies:**

* * *

So Reixka wanted to become whole? Or maybe she was hoping that Stefa would lose to her. Either way, Stefa's other had had a change of heart. Things had obviously changed; Reixka had walked away from the Organization. _That_ took some guts. Stefa nodded her head and smiled softly. "Then, let's settle this." Instantly, they both set off. Both girls felt alive, for once. They had to be equally matched, right? They were the same. Not exactly. They had technically come from different places and had learned from different people.

Stefa rushed forward, jumped, and swung down at her Nobody. Reixka had predicted something like this from her other, and swiftly moved to the side. "Remind me why we're fighting on a _pier_ again." Stefa pointed out when she had to quickly revert from putting a hole in the pier's flooring.

"It's our favorite place to be." Reixka reminded her as she charged in for an attack. Too easy. Stefa side-stepped and slashed at her other's side. Finally. It tore through the cloth of Reixka's t-shirt and caused blood to start oozing from a small cut.

"I thought you were more of my dark side's nobody." Stefa teased, smiling, and dodging Reixka's retaliating slash. Why was this so fun?

"At the time, I guess I was. I was so filled with hate and malice because I realized that I wanted to be whole. It was great to have a heart, and afterward, I felt so empty. I hated it." Reixka shook her head as she disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossoms, reappeared behind Stefa, and swung at her back, knocking her Somebody into the railing. "I thought that Xemnas would somehow help me get a heart of my own, but didn't after you gave him one. And after you killed Larxene, I figured out that Xemnas doesn't care about the Organization at all." She paused for a minute, doing a back handspring to avoid Stefa's wild attack. "Well, alright, maybe _Saïx_."

Stefa wished that she could disappear in a flurry of cherry blossoms; That would be so cool. "You definitely picked that move up from Marluxia." She pointed out as she rolled to the side, rolled again, and swung at Reixka's legs. Reixka moved one leg, but not the other, so she slipped and fell onto one knee. Stefa pointed Shadow Heart at her neck. Reixka nodded.

"I did." She answered. "Xemnas wants the Organization to perish so that he won't have to worry about a retaliation or their want for hearts. I guess _that's_ why he let all of them that had been at Castle Oblivion back in. That and he needed power. Now he has it." Reixka said, continuing her story. Stefa chewed on this for a minute.

"Yet the rest of the Organization is still _there_? Even _Marluxia_? That, more than anything, is a shocker..." muttered Stefa, paying pretty much no attention to the fight, and getting knocked off of the pier, only to fall to the sandy beach below.

"I want my best friend back." Nalani growled, hitting Xaldin, not with magic, but with her staff. She hit him in the head several times with the staff, giving Quince and Ceron a good opening to attack him. Quince swung Maybe Memories at Xaldin at the same time as Ceron swung his long-sword at him; The attacks took him by surprise and caused him to topple over the top of the mountain.

"Your best friend is probably with her Nobody by now." Xaldin snorted as his lances surrounded him, causing him to fly back to the top of the mountain. "Well, she's probably been killed by her Nobody by now; That Number XIV is very sadistic. Must take after Larxene." Nalani's hands turned into fists even as one of the lances flew at her. Ceron tackled her to the ground, causing them both to slide to the base of the mountain.

Ceron tapped her forehead with his finger. "Think next time, Hula-girl." He said, smiling just a little as he got off of her and held out a hand. "Everything good?" She nodded and took his hand.

"I'm not dead, if that's what you mean." She muttered.

"Cheer up," He said in an oddly optimistic tone before he skillfully ran up the side of the wood-chip mountain.

"Sure, now he has no problem getting up the mountain." Nalani muttered under her breath as she cast Graviga randomly, surprisingly causing Xaldin to fall onto the pavement a few inches away from the base of the mountain.

"I'm starting to think that there really is _no one_ here." Sora stated. He, Kairi, and Riku were sitting at their familiar places on the palm tree on the little island.

"Then we have to find a way out." Kairi pointed out, as she jumped off of the spot where she was sitting to the right of Sora. Even when she jumped off, he couldn't help but expect her to fade away. Riku jumped off, sitting to the left of Sora, and he also expected the silver-haired boy to disappeared. "Sora? C'mon, let's go." The Princess said, trying to snap her boyfriend out of it. Sora shook his spiky-haired head and nodded.

"Right." He agreed, finally jumping off of the tree, and half-expecting himself to fade away. They were half-way across the bridge when someone else spoke.

"A way out? Why would you want a way out?" The voice of a man said from behind them, along with the sound of cards shuffling. Luxord's familiar form was standing on the island, calmly playing with his cards.

"What are you doing here?" Riku snarled as Way to Dawn appeared in a flurry of light.

"Me? I just wanted to know if the three of you were up to a friendly game of poker." The blond man feigned innocently.

"What did you do with everyone else?" Sora demanded as he rushed forward with Fenrir. To absolutely no one's surprise, Luxord disappeared. "I hate it when they do that."

"If you really want to know, then why don't you come down here and fight me?" Luxord's voice called from the beach.

"Gladly." Riku murmured as he jumped off of the bridge and kicked up sand in his rush to get to the Gambler of Fate.

Block, block, block. Reixka was very relentless in her attacks. Stefa rolled to dodge another blow and found herself standing knee-deep in the ocean when she stood up. Spitting out the salty water, she looked around for her other. When Reixka popped up behind her, she was ready. Stefa brought her arm back and hit Reixka in the stomach with the hilt of Shadow Heart. Surprised and slightly paralyzed, Reixka coughed and doubled over.

This was her chance.

Stefa turned around quickly, slashing into Reixka's side with Shadow Heart. The Nobody fell into the water, covered up to her waist with it. Stefa held out her Keyblade and closed her eyes. _'Anyone can use their light, it's just a matter of trusting it.'_ Tifa had told her not so long ago. "Light." muttered Stefa, concentrating with all that she had. A beam of white light shot out from the tip of Shadow Heart and shot into Reixka's chest, where her heart should have been.

Reixka's cherry blossom Keyblade disappeared in a flurry of light as she got a look at herself; She was transparent. The Nobody sighed, but smirked, in defeat as her other opened her eyes. "Wow, it really worked?" Stefa asked with amazement. "Nice." Reixka got to her feet and stared at her other square in the eye.

"You've finally won," said the Nobody with a small nod, "It's about time." Both of them exchanged small smiles. "You were just lucky, though. I'd say that I could beat you next time if there _was_ going to be a next time." Reixka held out her right hand and smiled pleasantly. "Let's go take down the rest of the Organization!" Stefa laughed at the pleasant matter in which her Nobody was speaking as she held out her own hand.

Reixka's body disappeared in the same pink light that Stefa's body was being engulfed in, and just like that, the Nobody had disappeared from view. _**'I'm still here.'**_ Reixka told her.

"How do we get out?" Stefa asked out loud as she rubbed the back of her head.

_**'Which way would you use to get out, but never anyone else?'**_ Reixka asked in a riddle-like manner. Stefa frowned at this.

"Don't get all complicated on me." She murmured as she stared out at the ocean.

_**'Fine, just think about your friends and the exit will become clear to you.'**_ Stefa nodded at this and closed her eyes, thinking about the others. When she opened her eyes again, a bright light was emitting in the distance over the ocean. With newfound confidence, Stefa ran through the ocean, and then began to swim as she got farther out. When she looked back once, she saw a faint form of a small girl chasing after an older looking back. She sighed with satisfaction at the memory before she entered the light.

"We really killed him." Quince was smirking at this statement. Oh, how long he had wanted to kill Xaldin... Maybe Memories disappeared in a flash of golden light. Xaldin's neck had obviously broken, leaving him no way to curse the three teenagers into oblivion.

"That's actually pretty sickening." Nalani murmured, referring to the way that the Lance Wielder's head was bent. As if she had spoken some magic word, Xaldin's body disappeared into darkness. EaKaze disappeared in a shimmer of light as the Mage looked around.

"How do we get out of here?" Ceron asked Quince, speaking Nalani's thoughts. Said boy rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh..." A light began to emit from behind them, in one part of the mountain. The three of them exchanged looks, but said no words as they scurried forward and entered the light.

As it turned out, it was a lot easier to defeat Luxord when it was three on one. Even if Sora got turned into a card or a die, Kairi or Riku would attack the Gambler in his distraction. "It's too bad you weren't taught to fight better." said Kairi as she delivered another blow with Angelic Destiny. Luxord was knocked onto all fours into the ocean.

Sora pointed Fenrir at the Organization Member. "You're not going to win." He stated, "So you might as well give up." Luxord snapped and summoned several Nobodies. "Hey!" The chocolate-haired Keyblade wielder shouted, trying to get past a Berserker as Luxord summoned a portal.

"You shouldn't have given him a lecture." Riku stated as he skillfully defeated a Berserker with several strikes of Way to Dawn. Kairi was knocked onto the beach by a Dusk. She rubbed the back of her head.

"Now what?" She called to the two boys. Standing back to back, Riku and Sora defeated two samurai Nobodies.

"Let's get out of here." Sora sighed as Fenrir disappeared from his hand. Kairi got to her feet and made her way to them.

"But how-?" Kairi's last word turned into a scream as the sand below them broke apart, sending them falling into the darkness below.

Stefa, Nalani, Quince, and Ceron relayed their stories to Roxas, Naminé, and Axel, who had been waiting for a painstakingly long time on the mud trail. Nalani glanced around the area, which was surprisingly bright. The trail they were sitting on seemed to stretch for miles. "So, where are we exactly?"

"Near Castle Oblivion," answered Axel and Naminé at the same time as Reixka in Stefa's head.

Stefa started a little before sighing. "I'll never be lonely again." Reixka laughed, and she distantly wondered if she would begin to fear for her own sanity after a while.

"You'll get used to it," assured Roxas. "But you can't really hear Reixka's thoughts, even though-""

"She can hear all of _my_ personal thoughts?" guessed Stefa as Roxas nodded. "Well, that sucks." The sky began to get uncharacteristically bright as three shapes that looked much like falling stars hurled toward the ground.

Quince jumped up as Maybe Memories flashed into his hand. "Huh?" He needn't have wasted his breath, for Kairi, Riku, and Sora hit the ground right before them. Axel held out a hand to help out Kairi, leaving the boys to help themselves.

Ceron rested his arms behind his head and raised an eyebrow. "Took you guys long enough."

"Luxord got away," grumbled Sora.

Nalani, however, beamed. "We took care of Xaldin," she told them in a chipper voice as she gestured to herself, Ceron and Quince.

"Reixka and I came to an agreement," announced Stefa just as pleasantly.

In a bored undertone, Roxas said, "We've just been waiting." No one seemed to pay much attention to him as they looked toward the distance.

"How far is it exactly?" Kairi asked although her tone suggested she didn't really want to know.

"Pretty far," admitted Sora as he rubbed the back of his head. "Goofy, Donald, and I started toward there when it was daytime and didn't get there until the night."

"But that was with Marluxia's 'help'." Naminé reminded him. "I don't think we can get in unless they want us in, and I don't really think Axel and I could smuggle our way in even if we use portals... It might have changed." Just then, the transparent Reixka appeared out of Stefa, causing her somebody to nearly jump out of her skin. She summoned a portal before turning to smile at the others.

"I owed you one, right?" The Nobody asked as Stefa, Nalani, and Riku stepped forward.

Nalani sighed. "I guess I'll never get the chance to beat you into the ground. What a shame."

Riku nodded at her. "Thanks."

"Sure." Axel, Sora, Ceron, and Quince disappeared through the portal first. Naminé, Kairi, and Roxas followed right after, leaving Stefa, Nalani, Riku, and Reixka. Stefa held out her hand and Reixka gladly grasped it. "Don't worry, I'll help you guys," she assured them before disappearing within Stefa again.

Stefa smiled at Riku and Nalani with determination. "Let's go." They took the portal at a run, entering just as it disappeared.

**XxX  
**

"This place needs some color," were Nalani's first words when they appeared inside of Castle Oblivion. The entire castle was coated in white and looked like a sterile hospital. Or mental ward.

_**'Most of the bedrooms aren't white. Oh, I had Axel's,'**_ noted Reixka in an offhanded manner, and Stefa laughed; she imagined the room suited Reixka perfectly.

"Which Organization Members are still standing?" asked Axel as he gazed around at the old surroundings. Nothing appeared to have changed.

Sora began to count on his hands. "Xemnas, of course. Probably Xigbar, Saïx, Marluxia, and Luxord."

Roxas groaned, "That's still a lot."

Without hesitation, Quince declared, "We should split up."

"But no one really knows how to get around here," mumbled Kairi, though no one appeared to have heard her.

"Alright, Roxas and Stefa can take one of the higher floors..." Sora started, but was stopped by Naminé.

"Did you already forget...? Oh, that's right, you can't really remember..." She corrected herself. "Anyway, the higher you go in Castle Oblivion, the more you forget."

"We'll have to take our chances," decided Sora.

Stefa stared at him, horrified. "You're crazy."

"There's no way to get around it."

"I have an idea." Naminé's words promptly stopped the inevitable fight between the two. "We should probably stick around with those that are highest in our hearts."

Stefa chewed on her lip. "Then I have to take Riku, Quince, and Nalani... which means I have to take Ceron by default... And then if I take Riku, Sora and Kairi will come which means that Roxas, Axel, and Nami-" She was caught off by Axel.

"Let's make this easier. Kairi and Sora are one. Ceron and Nalani are another. Roxas and I will the third, Naminé and Riku the fourth, and, finally, Stefa and Quince. Memorize it." The group became silent as they considered.

"It works," agreed Quince who was clearly pleased to be with Stefa.

"We can check out their new meeting room." Reixka's voice sounded once again as she separated from her somebody and called upon a new portal. "Since I know where it is."

"Naminé and I can check the lowest floor of the basement." Riku offered.

"And we'll just split off from there." Roxas stated. "Works for me."

"Try to be careful; Don't let them mess with everything that you already know." Axel said in a serious tone. "Without Naminé, maybe memories can't be affected anymore..."

"We'd better hope." Quince stated before he walked into the portal. Stefa and Reixka were quick to follow.

"They probably don't have cards for Sora's memories, but just in case... Try to stay away from the world doors." Naminé told the others when the other three had left.

"How do we get around?" Kairi asked her other. Axel jabbed his thumb at a small black teleporter/portal thing.

"It's that easy." He said smugly.

**A/N: Sorry about this being so short, buuut... I had to get it up eventually. xD Anyway, I now officially have to wait to write the first chapter to the sequel until I am done with this because I have totally changed my mind about how this story is going to end... By the way, you should be very afraid. xD**

Naminé


	24. Dissolve and Decay

**A/N: xD Okay, nobody got it, so... The part where Luxord asked Kairi, Sora, and Riku about playing poker was a sexual innuendo- Originally, it said afterward 'A/N: Yeah, strip poker. You first, Riku. ;D' But Fuyu and Seldomknown seemed to find two others. xD**

**Oh, and there is yaoi in this chapter. At least, signs of it. If you don't like it, just overlook it. And if you didn't know, yaoi is boy on boy love. **

**Disclaimer-Do not own Kingdom Hearts. I just don't. Gosh.**

* * *

Reixka was strolling about the old meeting room, and realized it hadn't changed much in the few days that she had been absent. Well, actually, it was missing the table now, so it now looked like Naminé's old room again. The cage with the doll was still hanging from the ceiling. The Nobody sighed as she placed her arms behind her back. "How are your memories?" Reixka softly asked as she glanced at the other two. Stefa smiled.

"You're my nobody, Reixka, Quince is my best friend... I'm Stefa... And we're going after the remainder of Organization XIII." She recited. Quince nodded.

"What she said."

Stefa shook her head. "There's nothing important about this room; There's no one here."

"Aw," said Reixka as she stood up on a chair and reached inside of the large cage. "Sure it is. I'm surprised Naminé didn't want to come here, but maybe I don't blame her." Quince and Stefa exchanged confused looks as Reixka pulled something out of the cage and jumped back onto the ground. She threw the doll at Stefa. Stefa blinked and held it up.

"Naminé." She muttered.

"C'mon," said Quince as he exited the room, "We need to find the rest of the Organization members."

"He's impatient." Reixka noted as she and Stefa followed after him.

The castle seemed to be eerily empty; There wasn't sight of anyone. Each group gave up their searches in whatever part of the castle that they were at and met back in the lobby after a half an hour; It seemed that everyone's memory was still fine. "I'm starting to think that the castle's memory erasing techniques only existed when Naminé was doing the erasing." stated Axel when the group had all met up.

"Very clever, Axel," Marluxia's voice drawled, "but it's very unlike you to think like that." Sure enough, the man with long and light pink hair was standing before the Castle's doors. His face was expressionless, but there was murder in his eyes when he held his ornate scythe above his head.

"Marluxia." Most of the group shouted as once. Reixka closed her eyes as she turned to face Stefa and held out her hand.

"You can take it from here." She assured her, "And I can still help." Stefa took her hand, and the Nobody faded back into her somebody.

_'But how?'_ She thought, knowing full well that she would receive an answer.

_**'Just relax and get ready to fight Marluxia.'**_ Was the only response. Stefa nodded as she called upon Shadow Heart, and noticed that everyone else had already started to attack Marluxia. Suddenly, the Cherry Blossom keyblade that Reixka had loved so much appeared in her left hand. **(A/N: Totally stole that from Seldomknown3. xD) **

"Tsk, tsk. When will we ever have a fair fight, Axel?" Marluxia's voice chided the pyromaniac.

"When you go to hell." Came Axel's gruff reply as he swung a chakram at Marluxia, who disappeared a second before the attack would have hit.

"That's not very nice." said Marluxia as he reappeared behind Axel and knocked him into one of the walls with a swipe of his scythe. A bolt of lightning ricocheted off of Marluxia's scythe and startled him; He turned around half-way to see who had cast the spell. None other than Nalani was looking at the flower-loving Organization Member with her staff held high.

"You're hot," She admitted, "but a real asshole." Several more bolts of lightning struck toward Marluxia, either shocking him or striking so close that he was knocked off of his feet.

"That's the way it always works." Stefa said as she came from beside Nalani and ran at Marluxia with the Cherry Blossom keyblade and Shadow Heart. Roxas ran at Marluxia from another angle, and the two of them began to mercilessly beat on the pink-haired man. It only took a few minutes of them doing this for Marluxia to knock them off with a mixture of strikes with his scythe and vines that he summoned. Vines began to spew out all over the place; Ceron easily took care of them, slicing them out of his way as he made his way toward the Graceful Assassin.

Marluxia smirked and disappeared right before the swordsman. Nalani knew something was wrong; The Organization Member was _way_ too confident. She ran up behind Ceron, anticipating the worst. Unsurprisingly, the worst did come.

Marluxia reappeared, but since Nalani was blocking his path, he had appeared behind her in a flash of cherry blossoms. Ceron's facial expression turned horrifically shocked when he could see the shiny metal of the scythe's head sticking through Nalani's stomach; Time seemed to freeze.

"Kingdom Hearts, all power." The Berserker muttered to himself. He was standing on the top floor of Castle Oblivion, right outside of the doors that Marluxia had once been locked within. "But can one with a heart, even if it is fake, handle its power?" Could it be true, did Saïx really _care_ about what happened to Xemnas? Well, of course. He was their superior.

But there was something more, and that bothered him. Then again, Axel had been able to cry when he was still a Nobody, right? And the pyromaniac had also been able to feel... Saïx decided that he did not want a heart; The number of emotions

that would fill him would be overwhelming. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't deny himself what he had wanted ever since he had become a Nobody.

_"Make sure that Sora and the others do not follow me. Take them out if they make to come after Kingdom Hearts." _Those had been the orders from Xemnas before the leader had disappeared into his portal; Saïx frowned. Could Xemnas really handle Kingdom Hearts? How would he have opened it if it had been locked by the Mouse King and Keyblade brat "for good"? The power of darkness was probably overwhelming; No one could seal darkness for good. Everything needed balance. Take out the light and darkness overwhelms. Take out the darkness and the light overwhelms.

That was what Nobodies stood for. Nothing. Neutrality? The Berserker wasn't sure he knew. Impatiently, he tapped his fingers against the door before pushing off and pacing the room.

Nalani had not been stabbed. Oh, no. That was not possible. No, she was perfectly fine. The cocky, sarcastic, loyal mage could not... Marluxia tore the scythe from Nalani's body, causing a sickening noise to fill the ears of all of the occupants in the room. Stefa stiffened at the noise, and she dropped her Keyblades, allowing them to clatter to the floor. She could just barely make out the quiet gasps of Naminé and Kairi. Ceron seemed to be the only one to recover first. His eyes were angry, but he caught Nalani as she fell and pulled her to his chest.

In a flash of light, Reixka's treasure and Shadow Heart reappeared in Stefa's hands, but she still didn't move. Marluxia laughed at the weakness in their hearts. The best way to injure someone else's heart was to injure someone close to said person. He raised his scythe in a final effort to take out both Ceron and Nalani. Oddly enough, he was stopped. A strong hand grabbed his arm nearest the top of the scythe.

Riku's left hand was grasping Marluxia's while his other hand pressed Way to Dawn to the pink-haired man's throat. "Are you going to be the one to kill me this time?" Marluxia asked in an amused tone. Either he didn't care that he was about to be killed, or he didn't think that Riku could really do it. Maybe Marluxia didn't realize, but Riku had done and seen _a lot_. He pressed Way to Dawn harder to the man's throat, causing some blood to trickle down.

Behind them, Kairi, Naminé, Roxas, and Sora were tending to Nalani, desperately casting Curaga in hopes to heal her terrible wound.

Finally, Stefa muttered what she had been thinking the whole time, "Nalani." Her world was spinning, but she had to get a grip. They were trying to heal Nalani, so she had to help take care of Marluxia, the bastard who had hurt her best friend in the first place.

Vines crept up from behind Riku, seizing him by the legs, and then by the arms. Vines were forming by those who were trying to heal Nalani, in an effort to stop them. Axel decided to take care of these. Fire surrounded the chakram and spewed out blasts of fire, killing off the weeds. Marluxia turned around and stabbed the end of his scythe into Riku's stomach, causing him to break free from his vine binds as he fell to the ground.

Just when he thought he had a minute to finish off someone, a very angry Stefa began to attack Marluxia's scythe, slashing at it with both Keyblades at the same time. "If she dies," Stefa growled when she had managed to make Marluxia slid backward a little, "I will kill you in the worst way possible."

"An eye for an eye, isn't it?" Marluxia asked, slashing at the Princess with his scythe, successfully tearing through her right arm-warmer, and causing her arm to bleed. That was right, she had killed Larxene, hadn't she? No matter how 'accidental' she considered it, it was what it was.

"Aren't I fucked up enough?" Was all Stefa muttered before blocking another blow from the scythe. Marluxia disappeared in a flash of cherry blossoms and reappeared behind her with his scythe raised, ready to kill. When the scythe was several inches away from Stefa's back, a purple barrier surrounded Marluxia, and caused him to fall to the ground. Nalani had EaKaze raised above her head somewhat from where she sat on the floor.

"You're not all _that_ fucked up." She admitted to her best friend. Ceron was embracing her from behind.

Marluxia was quickly overpowered by the group of fighters, who seemed to be very angry at him for his attempt to kill Nalani. Nalani had not been completely healed, but she considered herself well enough to move around. Stab after slash after violent stab, a mortally wounded Marluxia grasped the wound in his chest as he fell to his knees, his scythe clattering to the floor.

His blood was pooling beneath him, but the only wound he cared about was the one in his chest. "Maybe the second time around, I'll be sent to more than just nothingness." Marluxia murmured.

"If you're going anywhere," Naminé growled in a ferocious tone, "It'll be hell for sure." Marluxia rolled his eyes at her.

"It's amazing how every last one of you have changed, and yet," He lingered on the words, taking satisfaction from their expressions, "You don't even _realize _it."

"Burn in hell." Sora snarled, slashing Fenrir outward in an angry gesture. Marluxia merely chuckled as his blood, body, and weapon all disappeared into darkness.

"We should have asked him what they were planning." Kairi said in afterthought when the room had grown quiet. Axel shrugged his shoulders.

"Like he would have told us." Ceron, who insisted on helping Nalani walk, made his way toward the castle doors with one arm wrapped around said girl's waist for support. He tugged on the door with the opposite arm, but it didn't budge.

"Either this door is stuck, or we're locked in." He noted.

"We have Keyblades," Roxas reminded him as he held out Oathkeeper, "I'll unlock it." The sound of clapping from behind them caused the group to turn their attention to one of the world's doors.

"That was a nice show," Saïx stated in his cold voice. "What a shame for Number XI."

"You don't sound so sad." Sora stated as he pointed Fenrir forward. "Let us out."

"I can't do that just yet," The Berserker told the chocolate-haired Keyblade wielder. "The only one who will be leaving this castle alive shall be me, but the rest of you must be disposed of right away."

"Where's Xemnas hiding at?" Axel demanded, his pair of chakram hanging in midair as he prepared for another fight.

"Since you won't be leaving this castle anyway," Saïx's voice droned on. "Then I see no harm in telling you that the superior is at Kingdom Hearts." His Claymore appeared in a flash in midair, and he grabbed it. "Now then, two traitors have been ridded, but there are still four more," He held the Claymore in an offensive position. "It doesn't matter if I must kill a somebody to get through to one traitor." Riku immediately took a protective stance before Stefa.

"Two Organization fights in a row? That's a bitch." Nalani concluded as she summoned EaKaze to her hand.

So Squall knew Rinoa from "another time"? Yuffie wished he had given her more details. When had he left her sight since they were little? Never, right? Or was that her imagination? The Great Ninja found herself wandering in the Great Maw to make herself feel better, but now she was not only worried about the others, but she was heartbroken, too.

It took a while, but Leon managed to tell Rinoa about everything that was going on. He had told her in such detail that it seemed like she actually knew everyone he talked about like close friends. "You've been busy, huh?"

"If that's what you want to call it." Squall allowed, nodding his head a little. "Yeah. Things have been crazy." Her hand grasped his and she squeezed.

"Things will work out. You said that you've known Sora since the beginning, right?" She asked as she looked him in the eye. The man nodded his head in reply as he turned toward her. "Then everything will be fine." Leon looked away and nodded even though he wasn't so sure. Everything was different this time around. Suddenly, Rinoa laughed, causing Squall to look up at her.

"What's so funny?" Rinoa smiled.

"You're still just as pessimistic as ever," She said with a shake of her head, "I thought that I had changed that." Leon had to smile at this. "Obviously it didn't stick too well if you're going around calling yourself 'Leon', now what kind of name is that?"

After a few minutes, the both of them burst out laughing, unbeknownst to them that the usually hyper ninja was sulking on her own.

* * *

**A/N: Yet another short chapter, but you guys will forgive me. ;D Anyway, wouldn't you hate if this was a video game and you had to defeat Marluxia and then Saïx? And if you lost to Saïx, you'd have to re-battle Marluxia. That would suck. :3 So Xigbar, Luxord, Saïx, and Xemnas are all that are left. Buh-bye, Marluxia, we'll remember you fondly. :3 See you guys next chapter. :D As for how this story is going to end... It's actually kind of anyone's guess. xDD**


	25. What Lies Within Kingdom Hearts

**A/N: You know what's sad? I'm losing count of the chapters. xD Laziness is causing me to slack on my schoolwork, but not this fanfiction. Something tells me that I need to get my priorities straight... xD**

**So I made Yuffie depressed. Yes, **_**Yuffie**_**, who thought that it could be possible?**

**Anyway, uhm, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Kay? Kay. **

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"I somehow don't think that you should be fighting." Ceron told Nalani as he unsheathed his long-sword again. Axel was eager to meet Saïx first in the fight; He and Saïx had quite the history.

"I can handle it." Was Nalani's blunt reply as she ran forward with her staff. Ceron's hand caught her left wrist and stopped her from getting far. She must have looked very angry and annoyed because when Ceron looked into her eyes, his grip loosened up a little.

"You know what a very cruel way to win this battle would be?" asked Quince as he hurled his Keyblade at Sora.

"What's that?" Sora replied as he caught Maybe Memories and slashed at Saïx with both of the Keyblades.

"To freeze time and beat up Saïx from there." Quince stated, catching Maybe Memories as it was returned to him. He quickly held up said Keyblade to block Saïx's claymore.

"What a shame," The blue-haired man said, pressing the large weapon against Quince's smaller one. "You don't seem to realize that most Nobodies possess this power." He took the claymore off, and swung at Quince's side, causing him to fly across the room.

"Quince!" Stefa exclaimed as she ran forward to take his spot in the fray. She swung the Cherry Blossom Keyblade and then Shadow Heart. Not really to hurt the Nobody, but more or less to piss him off, Nalani began to cast thunder spells that zapped only Saïx's feet. This also was a great distractor that allowed Axel to trap Saïx inside a ring of fire that reached up to the ceiling. The group backed off, admiring the man's work.

"That takes the cake." Roxas stated as he pounded his fist against his best friend's.

"I'm not so sure that was a good idea, Axel," Naminé murmured pessimistically. Both Axel and Roxas turned to look at her. Axel scratched the top of his head.

"Why's that? Saïx can't escape!"

"But he can make the fire spread." Sora said in a sing-song voice; It would have been weirder for him to do this had he not been wearing the purple and turquoise outfit with a flower drawn on his cheek...

"Huh?" Was the only thing Axel said as Saïx swung his claymore, sending out a gust of wind. Now, instead of just the small section with Saïx trapped, fire had jumped to other parts of the room, ashes flying through the air.

"That's happy." Nalani muttered, casting a Watera spell on Kairi's skirt, which had caught fire in the back.

"Thanks." The redheaded Princess said as she brushed off the charred pieces of her skirt. "You may have just saved my skirt."

"Is this really any time to be talking about skirts?!" Ceron exclaimed as he jumped away from a blast of fire that, had he not moved, would have probably burned him very badly.

"Now what?" Stefa asked, coughing from the smoke that was beginning to form in the room.

"We won't need to take Saïx on by brute force, now," Riku mused as he backed off a little. "Let's get out of here; Axel, set fire to everything in this room that you can, but not until the rest of us are out." Said man nodded and gave Riku the two-fingered salute.

"Ay, ay!" He responded, patiently waiting for the others to unlock the door; Setting Castle Oblivion on fire had been one of his few dreams as a Nobody and had carried on as his dream when he had gotten a heart. Roxas extended the hand holding Oathkeeper. A beam of light shot out from the tip of the Keyblade and entered the keyhole that had formed on the doors. They swung open as soon as the lock had been destroyed.

"Give him all you've got, Axel!" Kairi called over her shoulder as she ran outside with everyone else. A wide grin stretched across Axel's mouth as his pair of chakram became surrounded with fire that shot out and engulfed the room completely. The last thing he saw before heading out the door was Saïx's fearful expression as he was surrounded by fire.

"Burn baby!" Axel shouted before the doors closed behind him and Sora locked them with his Fenrir Keyblade.

**---------------------------------------------**

"That can't be a fun way to die; Being burnt to death." Nalani remarked. They were wandering through a black corridor of darkness that Naminé had opened. Now they were searching for the pathway to Kingdom Hearts.

"I don't understand why Saïx didn't just open a portal of darkness and be done with it." Sora admitted. He had both arms placed behind his head.

"Lost his cool, probably," Riku replied. "Even if he doesn't have a heart... or really a conscious for that matter, he does have a brain, which was probably all fogged up from the smoke."

"Maybe he wanted to see if we would get trapped and die, too?" Kairi suggested almost too cheerfully. The truth of the matter was she wasn't longing to really see the place where she had lost Riku and Sora.

"Nah," Axel replied cooly. "He probably knew either Naminé or I would open a portal. He lost it."

_**'Xemnas will want your heads on a silver platter.'**_ Reixka's voice echoed within Stefa's quiet mind. She giggled.

_'Then we won't tell him.'_

_**'Smart choice.'**_It was then that Stefa remembered the small doll. It had been surprisingly small enough to fit in her pocket although all of the boys could somehow fit tons of potions, elixirs, and ethers in theirs. She reached past her skirt and plunged her hand into her jean pocket where she finally found the doll and pulled it out. "Naminé." The blonde in question whirled around to face Stefa just in time to catch the small doll. Momentarily, the two of them had paused.

Naminé tilted her head, causing her bangs to fall over one of her eyes and give her a Kairi-ish appearance. "This is..."

"The doll of you." Stefa answered with a nod. "Yes." Naminé looked up at her, her sky blue eyes filled with confusion.

"Where did you...? Why...?" She asked, unable to really finish her sentences without trailing off.

Stefa smiled. "The Organization was using your old room for their meeting room," She stated, feeling clever even though Reixka had told her this. "Anyway, we decided to free her because you aren't caged up anymore, either." Naminé stared at her blankly for a minute before she shifted her eyes to the doll in her hand and a smile graced her features. She looked back up, her eyes closed in delight.

"You're right. Thank you, both of you."

"Nam, Stefa, come on!" Roxas hollered from somewhere up ahead. Both girls quickly began to run to join the others.

"We found it." Quince told them when they came up behind him; They were standing before a 'doorway' with the image of Kingdom Hearts. Sora, Riku, and Kairi stepped forward with confidence, leaving the others to run after them.

**---------------------------------------------**

Kingdom Hearts was just as Stefa had seen it in her dreams; It seemed that she had not missed a detail. Sora and Riku stared at the door with far-off looks of remembrance, sadness, and wonder. Kairi glanced backward as if to make sure that there was going to be no island forming that would separate her from Sora again. A question was hanging above the group like desert heat on a ninety-degree afternoon; No one had wanted to ask the question, but now it was vital that they address it.

"How are we going to seal Kingdom Hearts?" Stefa asked quietly. "We don't have King Mickey, and don't we need a different Keyblade that's like his?" Apparently even though Sora, Riku, and Kairi had all told Stefa about their journeys during her first, they had never mentioned much about Riku's Keyblade.

"There's one Keyblade that can take its place." Sora answered in a soft and quiet tone.

"Really?" Ceron asked with surprise. "Is that Keyblade among us?"

"Yes." Sora replied.

"Whose?" Nalani asked earnestly. Sora and Riku stopped abruptly, causing Kairi to stop, and everyone else to bump into each other. Riku held up Way to the Dawn as he turned to face the others.

"It's... yours?" Stefa asked, hoping that she didn't sound as upset and surprised as she thought that she did. Riku nodded mutely.

"Keyblade wielders and the fools that have followed along with them," Xemnas's voice boomed in the quiet realm. Everyone turned their attention to the doors that had seemed closed before. A bright light shot out from inside as the doors flew open completely. They looked away from the light or closed their eyes for fear of going blind.

Kingdom Hearts was as dark inside as it had been before. Heartless, infinite amounts of them, were rising from the depths. Naminé gasped at the incredible sight.

_'I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Hearts, is __**light**_

Riku suddenly fell to one knee as some incredible pain struck his heart. Xemnas began to laugh loudly, somehow drowning out everyone's shouts of concern. His friends disappeared from view, and he found that he was alone in the darkness. "What...? What happened to me?" He slowly got to his feet and looked around, clutching Way to Dawn in his hand. "Where is everyone?!"

Black light suddenly shot out of his heart and a person appeared before him. The man was tall, had silver hair, and was wearing a long black coat with white gloves, black pants, black boots, and some sort of vest thing that failed to cover his chest. The coat closed (more or less) at the top by a heartless symbol pendant. Fear, anger, and surprise shot through Riku like a shockwave. "Xehanort's heartless!" He growled. _'I thought that I had conquered him. I know that I can never get rid of him completely, but why is out now?'_

"Fool, did you really think that I would lie dormant forever?" Xehanort's heartless asked, smiling wickedly. "I have no further reason to lie within your heart; I will join the shell of my original and defeat you that way." He turned away, summoning a purple and dark blue that had some distinct differences from Xemnas's. "Or perhaps I shall just defeat your friends and leave you in the innermost darkness." With that, he spared Riku not a single glance or word as he disappeared through his portal.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Riku!" Sora had shouted this several times now, but he would not stop until Riku reappeared. He had just disappeared without a trace. Faded like he had never been there at all. Kairi and Stefa stared at the empty space with horror-stricken expressions. Suddenly, a portal appeared before them, and out stepped an all too familiar face. Sora managed to regain himself fast enough to realize that Xehanort's heartless was standing before them. "You took over Riku's body again?!"

Naminé bit her lip. _'But I thought that if he accepted both light and darkness... And he fought Ansem so many times... It doesn't make sense...'_ She shook her head, trying to shake off the confusion as well.

"This is Xehanort's heartless?" Stefa asked, examining the man with dislike. He and Xemnas definitely had the hair in common, but they just seemed so different.

"I have not taken over Riku's body," Xehanort's heartless **(A/N: I really preferred the days that he could be called 'Ansem' without there being confusion. x.x') **stated, an evil smile taking over his lips, "But in all fairness, you will probably never see him again." Crestfallen. Desperation. Disbelief.

Sora shouted out in anger. "You're lying!" He snarled, charging forward with Fenrir. The familiar heartless guardian appeared before Xehanort's heartless **(A/N: Hate this nameee...) **and seized Sora by the shoulders.

"Enough is enough." Roxas muttered as he rushed forward with Oblivion and Oathkeeper; Surely the guardian couldn't hold him off if it was occupied with Sora? He jumped in the air and swung both of the Keyblades at the man, knocking him sideways. The guardian dropped Sora to the ground, and entered Roxas out of anger.

"This is kind of fucked up." Nalani mused as she tried to make sense of what she saw before her. She had been told about all of these things, but seeing them before her was just downright confusing.

"It's all mad here." Ceron said in a tone that would have made the Cheshire cat proud. He ran forward to assist the others. Stefa was not paying much attention to the fight they were having with Xehanort's heartless; She blocked the image from her mind. Her eyes closed and she sighed.

"Riku!" She called, desperately holding out her hands as if she might reach something. Well, she did grab something, but it was not anything human. Her eyes fluttered open, and she jumped back when she realized she had been grabbing onto the leg of a Darkside; It seemed that the heartless were leaving Kingdom Hearts. _'Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.'_

_**'You say that too often.'**_

"Stop ridiculing me!" Stefa accidently shouted out loud as she tripped and fell onto her back. _'This is stupid. Get a grip.'_ She took in a deep breath before she jumped to her feet, this time wielding her Keyblades. "This should be fun." Her heart was pounding against her chest and it hurt like she couldn't believe; It felt like Ceron had driven his sword straight through her heart. A well-aimed Gravira spell formed around the Darkside's head and gave Stefa a reason to retreat as he fell on the ground, which began to crack.

"Haha, oops?" Nalani said from somewhere behind Stefa. Even without seeing her face, she could tell that her best friend was laughing was smile, so she did, too. Cracks formed through the ground as the Darkside fell into oblivion; At least that hadn't taken any real battling.

"Thanks, Nala!" Stefa called over her shoulder. The response was a nod. The Keyblade Princess's eyebrows ran together and her forehead crumpled as she suddenly felt weird; She felt incomplete, all of a sudden.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_'I'm trapped in the darkness, and this time, King Mickey isn't here to get me out.' _Was all that Riku could find himself thinking. He had run as far as he could until he was out of breath and still felt that he hadn't moved anywhere; He was stuck in the worst way. _'Maybe I could get out if I embraced darkness one final time?'_ Almost immediately, Riku shook off the thought.

"No, I could never." He murmured. "But there must be something I can do... I can't stay here." _'Who knows what Xehanort's heartless can be doing...'_

"Silly." The voice of a female echoed throughout the darkness. Confused, Riku looked around. How could someone get in if he couldn't get out? "Surely you must have realized by now that you're not in _the_ darkness, but you're trapped within your own."

"My... own?" Riku asked the disembodied voice as he looked down at his chest. "How can that be?"

"It's hard for those who have had terrible experiences with the darkness or for those who have trusted it," The voice continued, ignoring his question completely. "Stefy did and so you were her light." Riku looked up suddenly. "The sudden exposure to Kingdom Hearts overwhelmed you. Not only that, but as much light that shot out of that door also brought along just as much darkness. Since Xemnas, who has been overcome with darkness again, was inside, when the light and darkness brushed over you all, Xehanort's Heartless awoke from his sleep within you.

"You know, one of the more serious things about you being trapped within your own darkness is that only a nobody can call out to you, and you can't hear the voices of those important to you. You can't be saved if you don't allow anyone to help; There's no need to be afraid, Riku," Reixka's transparent form suddenly stepped out. She was smiling, but her eyes looked sad and somehow serious at the same time. He looked at her.

"You mean that I'm purposely blocking out the others?" Riku asked with surprise; She nodded.

"I'm afraid so," She said. "You know, if I was like Naminé and I could appear as Stefa, things would be so much easier." Reixka laughed, and Riku heard himself do it, too. "Open up your heart, Riku. You'll be surprised at what you see." She turned around, suddenly, much too soon for Riku's taste, and faded away.

Riku didn't both to call out to her because he knew that it would be no use. So, instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated very hard.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Xehanort's heartless smirked, allowing his heartless guardian to throw off first Axel, then Roxas, and finally Sora. "It is a useless effort."

_'One who knows nothing can understand nothing.'_

"Shut up!" Sora and Roxas both shouted. Roxas hurled Oblivion at the heartless at the same time as Fenrir was. They were too slow in their attacks and were only left to watch as Xehanort's heartless drifted backward and into Kingdom Hearts. There was the sound of Xemnas's maniacal laughter and then a bright light that completely eclipsed the first. Even when they closed their eyes, there eyes would burn. The bright white light turned into black light and then subsided completely.

"What happened?" Quince asked, looking up when he was sure that the light show was over. Something like a combined form of Xemnas and Xehanort's heartless stood in the entryway of the doors. He had Xemnas's beautiful hair, boots, and coat. The coat opened up to reveal the clothes that Xehanort's heartless had been wearing underneath his own coat. The combined form wore the same gloves as Xehanort's heartless, only black. The coat was also clipped at the top by a half-heartless and half-nobody symbol pendant. His eyes were blazing with a liquid gold that seemed much sinister than either one of the originals' eyes.

The heartless guardian appeared behind him and his hands were holding onto Xemnas's Aerial blades.

Stefa, who was feeling whole again, swayed slightly on her feet at the sight of the sinister combination. Her surroundings blurred and soon changed and she soon found herself in a place that was completely grey. She blinked. "I might have passed out." She murmured as she closed her eyes and waited for the odd feeling welling up inside of her to subside, but it wouldn't. "Riku... Come back, please." She murmured, blindly stretching out her hand and holding her eyes tightly closed.

Somehow, she could feel the light and the darkness surrounding her body, bringing her somewhere else, but at the same time, keeping her in the same spot. She reached out as far as she could manage, and began to fall backward after a few minutes, when a hand reached back and grabbed hers. A black, grey, and white light shot out from their touch.

A million thoughts flooded Stefa's mind before she opened her pale eyes once more to find herself staring into Riku's sea-foam green ones. "Riku!"

_'Without you, I'm a mess.'_

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. The boy chuckled and returned the embrace. "Don't lose it so quickly, Stef, we still have to take care of the combination." He said. The grey area faded from around them, and they suddenly reappeared before Kingdom Hearts.

They had reappeared only to find the others gone.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N: I think this is a little longer than last chapter. Oh, you should know, the Xehanort's heartless thing was **_**very**_** spur of the moment and didn't worm its way into the story until I had unconsciously typed it. xD It will make things different, that's for sure.**

**Teehee, an evil Xemnas/Xehanort's Heartless with Xemnas's awesome hair; Be very afraid. 3 **

**See you guys next chapter. :D**


	26. Until the End of Everything

**A/N: Hehe. So, SeldomKnown and I were talking about the combination Xemnas/Xehanort's Heartless, and we were trying to come up with a name. Here were the candidates: Xehamnes, Xemnahort, Mansex, Xemnawhore, or ****Xehamnesxemnahortmansexxemnawhoregawdmyhair'samazing. xDD Anyway... **

**Also, friday was a pretty day for me. Well, to tell you the truth, my life has kind of been pretty bad for over two years, but that's okay. So, I must warn you in advance, this chapter may be kind of... upsetting and **_**super**_** dramatic.**

**One final note: This is the last chapter. xDDD Dun kill me. Grabs many of Goofy's shields**

**Disclaimer- **

**Crescentmoon: -Springs to life- I'm not dead!**

**Lollipop: You're alive?! No waiz. :o Axel, you two are married. It was a betrothed thing that I forgot to tell you about?**

**Axel: What?! But I wanted Ro-- I mean...**

**Stefa: -smacks her forehead- Okay, Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to Lolli, but the plot and her OCs do. Well, except for Nalani and Ceron who were kind of created thanks to SeldomKnown3...**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

How could it even be possible for everyone to have disappeared? Maybe they had moved their fight? Stefa kicked her feet at the snowy ground, feeling a large amount of distress.

"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions," Riku told her as he pointed his index finger at the path, "Look." Sure enough, there were footprints that looked like they had been made by running very fast. There were also indents in the snow that seemed to suggest some had been dragged, fallen, slid across the path, or anything else that could possibly be thought of.

"They're fighting in Kingdom Hearts?" Stefa asked, her voice shaking. "Well, gee, Riku, somehow that doesn't cheer me up." She clutched the handles of the cherry blossom Keyblade and Shadow Heart so tightly that her knuckles became white. Suddenly, there was an extremely loud roar that came from within the open Kingdom Hearts.

"Saïx was...?!" The voice boomed. Another voice shouted back, but it was by no means as loud as Xehamnes, so even though they could tell it was Sora, they couldn't hear what we he was saying. The sound of voices died down as the sound of some large blow, and a scream, sounded instead.

At this, Riku and Stefa ran faster and entered Kingdom Hearts. The heartless within were rising, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier keeping them at bay; Heartless were not the worry.

"Axel." Roxas's voice was unusually desperate as he bent over said man's body. Naminé's face was stained with tears, and even as she tried to wipe them away, more spilled from her sky blue eyes. She was bent over Axel's other side, trying to use elixirs and potions.

"You're terrible!" Kairi, at a loss for words, sobbed as she pointed Angelic Destiny at Xehamnes. Her eyes were filled with tears that had already begun to spill some, but her waterworks were nothing in comparison to Naminé's.

"What happened?" Riku asked Sora urgently when he and Stefa had joined the group. Stefa immediately ran to Axel's side. He was bleeding badly, and, the weirdest of all, fading.

"You're... fading...?" Stefa asked, "But I don't understand... You're real, now. You've been real..."

"The powers from both the heartless and nobody," Quince said in a controlled voice, "Mixed together and gave him new ones. So, since Axel somehow became real without knowing how, and since he is a nobody at heart, it seems that this... Xehamnes has the power to take that away." His eyes were full of hate and anger, but, most surprising of all, fear.

"You mean..." Roxas quietly spoke up as he wiped tears out of his eyes, "That he can take out any nobody that has a heart?" Quince nodded.

Xehamnes chuckled. "So, you have figured it out." He said, the anger and anguish he had felt earlier had faded away.

"Roxas, Naminé," Axel's voice was weak and, for once, he sounded frail and weak. "Get out of here. Now." Naminé shook her head.

"No way, Axel." She said, tears dropping onto the pyromaniac's clothes from her tears. "There has to be something we can do..." Axel chuckled quietly.

"We'll meet on the other side, some day," He assured her with a weak smile before his emerald eyes turned toward Roxas. "Roxas, take care of her." Roxas allowed one of his tears to fall onto his best friend.

"Axel..." This all reminded Sora too much of the time when Axel had faded before. It also reminded him of his first adventure.

"Take care of yourself, kid," Axel said to Stefa as his body began to fade into darkness, "Someone has to take care of all of these guys." She only managed a nod before he disappeared completely from their sight.

"Axel!" Roxas, Sora, Kairi, and Naminé exclaimed, even though they knew that he couldn't hear them. Ceron had been taking on Xehamnes for a good few minutes to allow the others to say goodbye to Axel in peace. Nalani was trying to use her magic, but the damn guardian heartless kept blocking the attacks or taking the blows, until he finally disappeared.

"Where'd it go?" Nalani asked, on guard, as she held her staff to the side. Ceron half-glanced at her.

"No idea." He replied in a tone that suggested that he didn't care so long as the annoying heartless was gone.

"At least I can get in some hits now." muttered Nalani to herself as she cast a thundaga spell at Xehamnes. When she did, a shocking and stabbing pain shot throughout her body. She yelled out a little as she fell to one knee. The swordsman looked back at her.

"What's wrong?" He asked urgently. The heartless guardian appeared, only for a minute, behind Nalani, looking as if it was coming out of her back. **(A/N: Ouch.) **"What the hell?!" Ceron shouted as he charged at the heartless, but even as he did, it disappeared.

"What is it?" Nalani asked him as she slowly got back onto two feet. That was one pain she never wanted to feel again.

"I think that heartless is inside of you."

"What?!" Nalani exclaimed after casting another Thundaga spell. Once again, the familiar pain shot throughout her body. She fell onto both knees, this time. "How do I get it out?!"

"You don't." Xehamnes answered her in a highly amused tone. Ceron turned around somewhat, but he felt the blade before he could see it. One of the aerial blades was sticking out through his stomach; The shock didn't allow him to feel the pain.

"Ceron!" The mage heard herself scream and felt herself crawl the few inches it took to get to him. Xehamnes laughed at her: It was high and cold.

"Does it hurt? Have I injured your heart?" He asked. When she didn't answer, he twisted the aerial blade inside of Ceron's gut, causing said boy to grunt in pain. "_Well_?"

"Stop it!" Nalani ordered as she jumped to her feet and swung her staff at the man. He merely dodged to the side, moving Ceron along with him. Nalani could hear the blood pounding in her ears, and her heart against her chest. At least Ceron was still alive. With a cry of anger, she did the first thing she could think of, and EaKaze was plunged through Xehamnes's gut. He grunted in pain and pulled his blade out of Ceron, before trying to take the staff out of him.

The mage could hear it; She could hear the adrenaline pumping within her blood. She was not horrified at what she had done, she was satisfied. "That's what you get." Nalani growled, her head pounding. The torturous pain shot throughout her body for the third time, like it could sense that she had hurt his master. Blood was pouring from Ceron's wound, and from her own that she had received since Stefa and Riku had been gone. She couldn't think straight.

Her heart's beating suddenly intensified and she felt something like extracting a sword from her body come from her back. Out of the corner of her eye, Nalani could make out the shape of the heartless guardian screaming in pain as it was expelled from her body. It then disappeared back into its master's body.

Out of seemingly no where, light appeared and began to smother Ceron in it and then Nalani, too. Surprised, Nalani turned to see who had done it. Naminé had her hands near her heart; She had apparently summoned the light that was engulfing them. But what was she doing? Suddenly, Nalani noticed someone else. There was an older woman with gorgeous brown hair tied in a braid, bright green eyes, a long pink dress, and a pink ribbon. She was holding a staff of her own. The woman didn't seem as real as everyone else. Her image seemed faded somehow. When she smiled, though, it was warm and comforting.

Nalani looked at her hands (she had long since released EaKaze) and noticed that they were fading away. She looked at Ceron and noticed that he was also fading. EaKaze was no longer inside of Xehamnes, but he seemed too frightened of the light to attack Ceron and Nalani. Once again, she shot a look back at the woman and Naminé, but neither one of them was there anymore.

"Nalani!" Stefa's voice was surprised and anguished when she stopped before the light. It seemed that Riku and Sora had rushed forward to take on Xehamnes, but Quince was right beside Stefa. That looked right, Nalani thought.

"What's happening to you two?" Quince asked, his voice also rather anguished; More anguished than Nalani would have expected. Suddenly, a voice spoke, but it seemed that no one besides Nalani, Stefa, and Quince could hear.

"Don't worry, you'll meet again." When they listened closely, they realized it wasn't one voice; It was two. Naminé's and someone that Nalani didn't recognize.

"Aerith?" If possible, Stefa's tone was even more surprised than it had been before. The flower girl laughed.

"I always wanted to help, and this is how." She stated.

"But you're taking them _away_, that doesn't help!" Quince exclaimed.

"We're saving them." stated Naminé.

"Naminé? But..." Nalani tried to speak, but she could just hear the girl shushing her.

"You'll find out soon enough. Don't worry; You four will be reunited again." Both Naminé and Aerith told them. Stefa tried to grab Nalani's hand, but it seemed invisible. She swallowed, hard.

"Nalani..." As if she had spoken the magic words, Nalani and Ceron's forms disappeared completely, making Stefa feel that she'd never see them again. "Why?" She was barely aware that Quince had left her side until she noticed Riku, Sora, and Quince raising their Keyblades and pointing them at a very bloody Xehamnes. Stefa fell to her knees, still staring at the spot where Ceron and Nalani had been. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up.

Kairi's face was tearstained and her eyes were still tearing, but she was smiling. "Too much drama for one night, huh?" She asked kindly.

"Wh-where's Roxas? And Naminé?" asked Stefa as she wildly looked around. Both of the former nobodies were no where to be found. Kairi's eyes became half-closed as she looked away, but she still kept her hand on Stefa's shoulder.

"Do you remember what was said about Xehamnes having the power to take out a 'former' nobody? Because of the powers he has as a partial somebody, nobody, and heartless?" She asked and continued when Stefa mutely nodded. "He did some weird type of magic after Naminé used the light on Nalani and Ceron. Naminé disappeared right after she had cast it, and Roxas disappeared before her when he tried to protect her from getting hit."

"So they're gone? For good?" Stefa's voice had stopped showing emotion, and now it just sounded weak. Kairi heaved a sigh as she nodded.

"Come on," She said at last as she held out a hand. "Let's help take out Xehamnes."

Stefa took her hand and got up. "We'll avenge them." She murmured as both of them recalled their Keyblades; Kairi was surprised to find Oathkeeper in her left hand. They both shrugged it off as they ran ahead to help take out Xehamnes.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Light. Everything was light. Nalani rubbed her eyes; She would have shielded them if the light wasn't _everywhere_. How could she be all alone was her first thought when she looked around. Ceron was out of sight. Hopefully he was alright. Stefa and Quince...

Where was she supposed to go? Her heart was not pounding as hard as it had been, and when Nalani glanced down to get a look of herself, she noticed that all of her injuries was gone. She also felt like she had come down from a high.

"They say that you're supposed to follow the light," Nalani mused as she looked around, "But where do you go when all that's around you is light?"

She suddenly felt like smacking herself upside the head when she realized that she was waiting for someone to answer. "Okay, then..." murmured Nalani when she set off in a random direction. Could you really tell which way you were going when you were surrounded by light?

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The fight with Xehamnes ending on a very interesting note. With the help (or rather, the energy of Quince and Riku), Sora's outfit tuned into a silver one. You couldn't just see that he was powerful; You could _feel_ it, too. It was kind of scary. Since Quince and Riku were using all of their energy to help Sora, Kairi and Stefa had to personally assist Sora.

The three of them did not finish off Xehamnes with their Keyblades. Well, Sora had to use his still, but not really fight with it.

Kairi and Stefa grasped hands and closed their eyes. Xehamnes had been stabbed so many times that he was kind of crippled. Not to mention Riku had actually broken his leg... A bright white light emitted from Kairi, while a grey one surrounded Stefa. Sora was now wielding Oathkeeper and Kingdom Key. He held both of them so that the tips met and a light began to emit from them.

"Light!" The three said in unison, sending forth beams of light that combined to make a wave of light that pierced through Xehamnes's chest. The resulting effect was enough to knock Kairi and Stefa a good ten feet backwards. They hit the snowy path right outside of Kingdom Hearts with large 'thuds'. Xehamnes screamed bloody murder.

"But this cannot be!" He shouted even as the light began to deteriorate his body. "I'm twice as strong as I once was!"

"Too bad that the both of you were already defeated by the same person twice, otherwise it might have worked." said Quince boredly as he ran forward for one final attack. He slashed at Xehamnes, and the man finally disappeared with a final burst of light, but not without saying some wonderful things to the Keyblade wielders. Riku, Sora, and Quince exchanged looks and then nods. Kairi and Stefa got to their feet just in time to find Quince and Sora working on closing the doors. The two of them stared at the boys with anger and horror.

"Sora! What do you think you're doing?" Kairi fiercely growled as she and Stefa came to the doors.

"Riku will need our help to get through the darkness, but you can still get to the light easily," Sora told them as calmly as he could. "Kairi, I'll come back to you." He murmured reassuringly before crushing his lips onto hers. She returned the kiss with haste. The kiss seemed less passionate and more desperate. Stefa winced at the fact that both she and Kairi were being left behind again.

"Kairi," Riku's voice spoke clear from where he stood on a large rock that King Mickey had once been on. They were surprised to see the heartless weren't attacking what with the barrier down, but apparently the light had either dazed them or tamed them for the time being. "You have to seal the door on that end," He told her. "Can you do it?"

She nodded lightly. "You guys have to come back to us!" Kairi told them. "You have to really promise.

"We promise." Riku replied, looking at Stefa as he said it.

_I'm trying, I'm trying to let you know how much you mean. _

"Let's get these doors closed." Quince murmured as he and Sora pulled from the inside. Kairi and Stefa pushed them from the outside.

"But why do the three of you have to stay?" Kairi muttered as she pushed hard on one of the doors.

"You'll understand." Came Sora's reply. In almost no time at all, Sora and Quince backed away from the doors as Kairi and Stefa finished closing them, only able to say goodbye through looks.

"Go ahead, Kairi." Stefa urged the redhead. Kairi nodded and called upon Oathkeeper before she ran back a little. Then, she held up the Keyblade and a beam of light shot out from it.

Likewise, on the inside, Riku pointed Way to Dawn at the door, causing a beam of light to shoot out from the end of the tip and enter a lock in the door.

Back on the outside, Kairi allowed Oathkeeper to disappear, and the two girls watched the door to Kingdom Hearts disappear in a flurry of lights. Stefa looked over at the Princess of Heart. "Let's hurry and try to find a way out of here before we get summoned to the path to Castle Oblivion."

After some hesitation, Kairi and Stefa ran in the opposite direction of where Kingdom Hearts had once stood, and headed for the place where Kairi had first lost Sora.

_As days fade, and nights grow..._

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"How long have I been in here, now?" Nalani grumpily muttered to herself. She had decided that the only reason she had been healed was so she could run throughout the 'realm of light' forever without dying.

She finally stopped running and sighed. "This looks like the place where I started." Nalani suspiciously remarked. "Look at that 'floor', it looks somewhat dirtier!" From beside her, a voice giggled. Nalani whirled around and found the flower girl, Aerith, standing before her. She smiled brightly at the younger girl.

"You remind me a lot of myself," Aerith told her, "but with Cloud and Tifa's tempers." Nalani looked at her for a minute.

"Aerith... right?" She asked. The woman nodded in response. "Where am I? And, not to be rude or anything, but... aren't you... dead?" Nalani finished rather lamely. Aerith didn't get angry, but she did laugh again; She didn't come off as one who could get upset very easily.

"Yes, I guess I am." She answered. "Maybe you could say I'm kind of like a Nobody now? Or at least, I sort of had a similarity with them. Maybe I'm a ghost. I'm not very sure _what_ I am." The flower girl admitted. "I've been roaming in the light for a while, like Nobodies who are defeated are usually sent to the darkness. I don't know where in the light, but that doesn't matter right now." Aerith paused and looked at Nalani with kind eyes. "I've taken you to somewhere within the light. Maybe being dead has its advantages if I can still help."

Nalani couldn't help but smile at her. She was very kind and obviously extremely pure. "Where's Ceron?"

"Home." Aerith replied with a smile. "At least, he is now." Nalani blinked several times. Home? Home had been destroyed... "You were all very close to that Keyhole, you know," The flower girl told her. Nalani instantly knew what she was talking about. When she, Stefa, and Ceron had been searching Jewel's Grove for the keyhole.

"Where is it?" Nalani asked with interest.

"Do you remember that tree outside of Stefa's old house?" Aerith waited for a nod, and then continued. "The keyhole is right inside of the heart."

The heart of the tree. Of course! "So... how do I get home, then? And how did Ceron get there in the first place? It was..."

"Destroyed. Yes, it was." Aerith agreed with a light nod of her head. "But Kingdom Hearts has just been sealed, so it's been restored."

"Sealed?" So Riku had done his job.

"Now, to get you home," Aerith said with a suddenly child-like spirit. She pressed her palms together in a very Naminé-like way and smiled. "Do you trust me?" Nalani stared at her in confusion. That was an awfully random question.

"Uhh... yes..." She murmured.

"Good!" was Aerith's cheerful reply. She separated her hands and held them both out with palms facing up. Nalani blinked. "Go ahead, take my hands." Aerith said in an assuring tone. The younger magician nodded and placed her hands on top of the flower girl's.

A bright white light emitted from them, but still, Nalani felt nothing but comfort as the light engulfed her body.

_You're the only one..._

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"I guess that we can't get back to Destiny Islands like I did..." Kairi murmured. They had been walking down the snowy path through the darkness for some time, and were beginning to think that they were stuck. Suddenly, a black portal appeared to the side of them. Kairi and Stefa both summoned their Keyblades and prepared for a battle; They hadn't forgotten that there were still two more Organization members out there.

Two hands were held up in surrender as Naminé stepped out of her portal. She smiled at the two of them. "Naminé!" Both girls said in relief as they ran forward to hug her. Instead of feeling the comforting feel of the girl's skin, they felt nothing but their own arms hitting each other. Kairi and Stefa turned around to face her. She smiled, sadly, her eyes half-closed with sadness.

"It was a permanent effect." She told them. Stefa felt her heart shoot up to her throat and swallowed to get it back down. Naminé, she... "Don't worry. I'll still be whole." The blonde Nobody told them; Only Kairi could understand what she was saying. Reixka's form exited out of Stefa's body once again. Stefa, who was staring to get used to it, didn't jump as high as she usually did.

"You'll always be able to see Naminé," Reixka told her other. "I guess you should finally learn why you could give Naminé and Roxas hearts." Naminé, Kairi, and Stefa stared at her with interest. The reason why you can give out hearts is this," She began her explanation. "If you are well off with their others, then you can make an exact copy of their somebody's heart. However, when you do this, you are automatically led into their minds: Their thoughts and their memories. This also helps you put together their hearts so that they are who they were as somebodies. In essence, though, you didn't really make the nobodies into somebodies," Reixka paused to smile bitterly. "Nobodies _can't_ become somebodies. So what you basically have done is make a copy of the Somebody's heart and inserted the Nobody's memories, thoughts, feelings, and their completely mindset into the heart. Since Nobodies and their Somebodies share mostly everything, that's why they have the same heart. But the hearts feel different." Reixka stopped to make sure the other three were following; They were.

"But how did I even learn how to do that?" Stefa asked. Although she understood what her nobody was saying, she couldn't understand why she could do it.

"Do you remember when you first lost to your other side?" Reixka asked. Stefa, of course, nodded quickly; How could she forget _that_? "Well, while you were unconscious, either the exposure to your heartless/darkness could have lent you the power to do something like that. That theory, I doubt, though. I think that when you forgot your name and a lot about yourself, the skill was born within you along with the name Kera." **(A/N: Thank you Seldomknown3 for that idea! I owe you. :D)**

"So it _was_ significant that she called herself Kera?" Kairi asked with interest; That was kind of cool. Reixka nodded her head.

"Yes. It was summoned to your body. I still don't know why you, but there are reasons."

"Maybe," Naminé said thoughtfully, "because Stefa is the 'perfect' in-between, that's why she learned the power. After losing to her other side, her true heart awoke and brought her the name and power?"

"It's possible." Reixka agreed before she turned to her other. "So, even though Naminé will be whole inside of Kairi, because you have such a strong connection to her, you'll be able to see her, still. Actually, just like Kairi, you'll be connected to her thoughts, too. That also means that Naminé is connected to yours."

"_That's_ a cool way to communicate." Stefa said with a small smile. The other three laughed.

"Well," Naminé said finally, "I guess it's time for me to go." She turned to face Kairi and smiled. "I'll summon a portal that leads back to Destiny Islands."

"Thank you, Naminé." The Nobody nodded.

"Sure." She said. "And, don't worry, things will work at back at home."

"I'm just afraid to see what happened to the others; I hope no one got hurt..." Kairi murmured. Naminé turned to face Stefa once again.

"We'll meet again, soon." She told her confidently before her eyes flickered to Reixka. "Thank you for everything." With that, she turned back and held out her hand; A black and purple vortex appeared to the right of Kairi. Then, Naminé held out one hand to Kairi, who took it with her opposite hand.

"'Bye, Naminé." Stefa murmured as a golden light engulfed Naminé and Kairi, sending the blonde inside of the redhead.

Kairi took a few steps toward Stefa. "I don't know if we can use Naminé as a messenger over such a distance, but, you and Reixka are welcome to come visit anytime you want." Kairi threw her arms around Stefa's neck, and Stefa did the same.

"Like Naminé said, we'll meet again soon," She assured her friend. "when Quince, Sora, and Riku return from the darkness."

"Unless we have to go and get them." Kairi pointed out, giggling as released Stefa. "Take care of yourself." She said as she entered the portal.

"You too." Stefa responded before Kairi disappeared within the flowing portal. Reixka lightly grabbed Stefa's arm to make her other face her, and not the empty space.

"Are you ready to go home, now?" She asked, grinning widely.

"God, yes." Stefa replied as she laughed a little. "It'll be a bit different with someone else inside of me."

"Hey, I can help you with tests." Reixka said with a wink. Like Naminé had, she held out a hand and summoned a portal of her own. Then, she held out her left hand. Stefa took it with her right hand, and the Nobody disappeared into her somebody in a flurry of pink light.

"It looks like I'm on my own, now, but not really." Stefa sighed. It had been so long since she found herself 'completely' alone. With Reixka, now, though... she probably wouldn't have those moments. She stepped inside of the portal with confidence. "Nalani better be behaving herself back there." Was the last thing she said before the portal closed behind her.

_I mean this, forever._

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**A/N: And **_**that**_** is the end of 'A Nobody's War'. Finally, huh? I decided to end it now instead of adding more never-ending chapters. Have no fear, though, readers! There will be an epilogue next chapter. :D**

**Inspiration for this chapter comes from "Demolition Lovers" by My Chemical Romance. I also used a few lines of lyrics in the chapter, too. So, I'll see you next 'chapter'. **

**Thank you everyone for the support!**


	27. Epilogue

**A/N: Lmao. The most reviews always come with the last chapter. x3 I'm too lazy to correct the last chapter, but last night I remembered that Xaldin is still out there. I totally forgot about him. xD Oops.**

**Anyway, so, yes, this is the epilogue. :D Prepare to be amazed and all that. Also, this takes place about... two or three months after the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer-...Do I really have to say this? Dx**

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Jewel's Grove had been particularly lucky. At the very least, Nalani and her family had; they had not been separated after being torn from the world, and they had not lost their hearts. Ceron, on the other hand, had less fortune. His family was currently MIA and, like Stefa's mother, he had no idea what had happened to them.

Restoration happened quickly. For the homeless, the government was doing all it could to help. With the help of a few of her cousins, Stefa had been able to fix up her old house, and her family had finally moved into separate houses, which was just fine by her; everyone had been, in her memory, driving each other more than a little crazy from being in such close quarters. She, on the other hand, was somehow managing to live on her own... Though she did need quite a bit of assistance in paying for the bills (though, at the moment, it seemed that such things had been put on hiatus.)

Ceron, Nalani and Stefa were taking advantage of a particularly nice autumn day. "I can't believe how late we got back in," Ceron almost complained from his spot at the base of a tree that Stefa and Nalani were both sitting in.

"Just in time for school," sighed Nalani, "how convenient."

Stefa snapped. "At least we didn't get any penalties for being late."

"You mean considering the fact that pretty much everyone just got back to this world? We aren't _that_ special," reminded Ceron. "Besides, you should talk. Do you know how much Nalani and I have to make up? We're going to be swamped with nothing but work if we want to graduate this year."

Stefa frowned. "But it's not your fault."

Nalani laughed, if not a little bitterly. "Since when has that ever mattered to our school? Regardless of whose fault it is, we need to get up to a senior level of education. Fortunately for me, there's more to Donald's feathered brain, so he was able to tutor me a lot. Unfortunately, you probably won't see much of me if the school has anything to say about it." Nalani glanced through the reddening leaves at her best friend, her lips set in a firm line as she treaded 'safer' ground, "So, there are still two Organization members out there?" They were all caught up on what had taken place after Nalani and Ceron were sent away from the fight outside of Kingdom Hearts.

Stefa eased herself back on the branch. "Yeah, there's just Xigbar and Luxord. Well, I guess there's Demyx too, but he's reformed... not that he was ever anything to worry about in the first place."

"Our senior year," Ceron mused as he looked up at the unusually bright sun. "I wonder what adventures this will bring us?"

"Hopefully none with keyblades," mumbled Stefa though, even as she said the words, she knew the truth. In the back of her mind, there were more things plaguing her. She felt like there were more enemies out there that she just was not thinking about, and it troubled her. She sat back up and held out both hands, only to have Shadow Heart and Sakura Dawning to flash into both.

**XxxxxX**

Kairi sat at the kitchen table in the Radiant Garden with a look of disappointment clearly etched on her face. Ever since she and Naminé had reunited, it had been trips to the Radiant Garden and then back to Destiny Islands. She hadn't thought it practical to go to Jewel's Grove unless she had some good news for her friends there.

And, of course, there was none. There was no sign of Riku, Sora, Quince, or Roxas, nor of any remaining Organization members. Naminé was sure that Roxas was out there, leading the boys back to the light. Kairi sighed as she leaned back in her chair. Merlin chose this moment to poof right beside her, causing her chair to hit the floor with a crack. "I didn't mean to startle you, lass."

"It's alright, Merlin." Kairi fixed her posture as she looked up at him, "What's up?"

"I have something that may be of some interest to you," He told her as a book magically appeared into his hand. She stared at it with curiosity as he placed it on the table. It was a cute little book, the cover depicting Sora, a yellow bear, a bouncing tiger, and a little piglet. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead as she looked up at him. "My dear, this is the book of Winnie the Pooh. Sora has many friends in this book, but this book also has other secrets in it that Sora has never told me about."

Kairi glanced, briefly, at the kitchen's clock and promptly stood, drawing the book into her arms. "I'll keep that in mind, Merlin. Thank you." Once she reached the front door, she paused and glanced over her shoulder at the two women on the couch. "'Bye, Yuffie, Tifa."

Yuffie smiled sadly as the door closed. "Poor Kairi, she must be so lonely."

Tifa nodded. "I can understand how she feels. I wonder how those boys are doing..."

"I have faith in Sora. I know they're fine," answered Yuffie with a firm nod.

**XxxxxX**

The path that had once led to Castle Oblivion did so no longer. Though they had followed the path for miles and miles and day after day, they never found it. Perhaps it had finally disappeared after they finished off the fighting there once and for all. Now, the boys had finally given up on following the seemingly endless path as they sat before a fire, their only source of light as the clouds were obscuring the moon. "I'm starting to feel grateful that we came up to Castle Oblivion before." Though it was nearly impossible for them to tell how much time had passed, they knew it had been a while since they had separated from the girls. Sora had maybe grown a little more, though Riku and Quince were still taller.

"At least we had a way to get back into a world with people in it," agreed Riku, whose hair had become shaggier. Maybe he had managed to become slightly taller, too. He noticed, as if from a distance, his best friend having some type of argument with Quince. It seemed to be less of an argument and more of the two of them taking digs at each other. With an exhausted sigh, he mumbled, "We'll find our way out."

Sora became serious right away. "Right. We promised." Unconsciously, he traced his lips with his index finger; he could still feel Kairi like she was right there beside him, and, somehow, he could feel Naminé, Stefa, and even Roxas.

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**A/N: There you go. It's not much of an epilogue-Well, at least, things aren't very obvious in it. Maybe for those of you who like to read in-between the lines can guess what might happen in the next fanfiction. ;D Fret not, the next fanfiction won't be the last. See you in the next story; it'll be up soon enough. Special thanks to seldomknown3, Fuyu no Kitsune, and xcrescentxmoonx for staying with me since the very beginning. -Gives cookies to the three of you- -Also gives cookies to the other readers- Thank you all for the support.**


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